Media Empire handed shot at 2023 Northern Queensland Winter Racing Carnival

By Jordan Gerrans

Media Empire has risen through the grades sharply in regional Queensland and trainer Jason Morgan now believes the progressive gelding deserves a shot at a feature race in the 2023 Northern Queensland Winter Racing Carnival.

The son of Winning Rupert is unlikely to get a start in the upcoming Cleveland Bay Handicap at Townsville early next month with his low rating.

So, Morgan and the soon-to-be five-year-old sprinter will make the trip up from Rockhampton to Townsville on Friday ahead of Saturday’s Open Handicap over 1200 metres at Townsville.

The winner of Saturday’s Open Handicap is exempt from the ballot for the feature Cleveland Bay in August, which will be raced for $100,000 in 2023.

It is a bold plan as Media Empire was only a Class 1 galloper a few months ago but Morgan thinks he is up to the task.

“I just believe that his racing pattern, if we can camp off the speed, then now going up against the better horses will suit him,” the Rockhampton-based trainer said.

“He is down in the weights for a race like this.

“I want to have a crack at this level because every start he comes back from, he improves again with his track work and seems to just be getting stronger.

“I think he has earned the chance to have a crack at some better prize money.”

If Media Empire does not get the cash on Saturday, he is unlikely to progress through the carnival chasing feature races as he has a low rating and may battle to get a start.

As a young fella in the 1980s and 90s, Morgan was a top harness driver in Rockhampton – claiming three premierships and driving over 400 winners – with his father Barry training.

Harness racing followers would remember Morgan being active on the South East Queensland scene up until 2015 when he had his last drive of his career.

Later in life he has turned his hand to the gallopers with success.

After previously focussing his attention more on buying and preparing yearlings, Morgan has recently shifted to tried horses, including Media Empire.

The gelding could only win once from almost 20 attempts for co-trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent (Jnr) initially before Saab Hasan took him in.

Media Empire is yet to finish outside the money in six race starts in Central Queensland, which has included three victories.

He nabbed his second career victory in a Ratings Band 0 – 55 Handicap at Rockhampton in late May and is now set to tackle open class gallopers for the first time on Saturday.

Morgan was sweating on a positive barrier draw on Thursday morning and was glad to be handed the two alley once they were released.

If he had drawn wide, he would have bypassed the northern sojourn and instead looked for a race in Brisbane the following weekend.

“He has been able to move through his grades fairly quickly,” the former harness man said of Media Empire.

“At his first look at 1300 metres the other day, which is the first time he has gone over a bit of distance, he had to do the work from the 600 metre mark and they only just got him on the line.

“I was really happy with that run and from the 1200 metres this week with a bit of pace on, I think he will really appreciate that.”

The 55-year-old Morgan prepares a team of four out of Callaghan Park.

Comeback hoop Warwick Satherley has been in the saddle on race day and at the trials on every occasion since Media Empire arrived in the Sunshine State and he will again be handed the task on Saturday.

Kiwi jockey Satherley had not ridden in a race for two decades until he made his shock return earlier this season.

The 54-year-old Satherley has hit the ground running, piloting 16 winners so far in his return.

“He sits on them nice and the horses go good for him,” Morgan said of Satherley.

“He has not put a foot wrong for us.”

The Winter Cup – which will also be contested on Saturday at Townsville – is another race with carnival implications, with the winner going straight into the field for the Townsville Cup.