Battle of the Bush warm up for Mount Isa's Tango Rain

Image credit: Jason Hoopert Photography

By Glenn Davis

It’s a long haul from Mount Isa to Rockhampton but that’s the journey undertaken by trainer Jay Morris with Battle of the Bush hopeful Tango Rain for Thursday’s Callaghan Park meeting.

Tango Rain is unbeaten in two starts this campaign and will attempt to extend his winning streak in the Open Handicap over 1200 metres.

The float trip from the mining town of Mount Isa in the State’s far north-west to Rockhampton is around 15 hours, which Morris completed on Monday after an overnight stopover at Barcaldine.

Morris is using the Rockhampton run as a final lead-up to the $200,000 Battle of the Bush Final at Eagle Farm on June 26.

The seven-year-old has won seven of his 10 starts for Morris and is coming off a near two-length win over Mr Tindall over 1100 metres on his home track on May 8.

“It was a long trip down from Mount Isa but he should run well,” Morris said.

“He’s got a lot of weight with 62 kilos and I would like to have claimed but the owner has a good connection with Ric McMahon who will ride him.

“Ric still has a lot of problems with his weight and he’s working in a butcher shop in Mount Isa and is now the father of a baby boy.”

Tango Rain showed early promise as a young horse, winning his first two starts for Sydney trainer Gerald Ryan as a late two-year-old before running second to Star Turn in the 2016 Group 3 San Domenico Stakes at Rosehill.

He won only one more race for Ryan from his next 23 starts before being sold privately in 2019 to prominent Mount Isa owner Andrew Saunders.

Saunders’ father is well known bookmaker Graeme Saunders while his mother, Lenore, owned 2015 Magic Millions Classic winner Le Chef which was prepared by Sunshine Coast trainer Darryl Hansen.

Tango Rain has been under Morris’ care for every start since his departure from Sydney except for two starts when he sent him to Hansen when he was beaten in two Brisbane runs last year.

Since returning to Mount Isa, Tango Rain has started a further 10 times for seven wins and two placings.

Morris is a builder by trade and is vice-president of the Mount Isa Race Club.

“I’m 41 next week and I’ve been training for about 15 years,” Morris said.

“I only keep around three to four horses in work because I’m too busy with my business.”

Morris won the Mount Isa trainers’ premiership in 2017-18.

His biggest wins were two Birdsville Cups with Just A Touch (2011) and Iron Meteorite (2015) and a Cleveland Handicap in Townsville with Heart in 2010.