Morgan Butler set for the proudest moment of his riding career

By Jordan Gerrans 

Morgan Butler has carved out a near three decade-long career in the saddle across Australia but he believes the opening event from Gympie on Saturday will be his proudest moment.

The 47-year-old is set to ride in a race with his son Brodie Moffat for the first time on the sand at Gympie.

The Sunshine Coast-based Moffat will have his maiden race ride in the first race and will be joined by his father in the starting gates.

Butler was always going to ride at the Gympie meeting but initially felt he wanted to watch on with pride from the grandstand as his 22-year-old son went around in a race for the first time.

But, Butler was booked for a ride and is now looking forward to the experience.

The father-and-son combination have ridden together in trials and jump-outs on a number of occasions over the last few years.

Despite his father being a jockey, Moffat was not always destined to be a hoop, which makes Butler even prouder.

“We are very competitive between each other but it is really exciting as he has put in a lot of hard work to get where he is now,” Butler said.

“I keep telling him I am going to beat him (laughs).

“For me, it is a very proud dad moment.

“Brodie does not have natural talent as a jockey but to his credit, he has worked extremely hard as Brodie was not a horse person and was not around racing so much until the last four or five years.

“Brodie has seen how hard I have worked in racing and where it has taken me so he has taken a big liking to it. He has stuck his head down.”

Butler has almost 250 winners to his name across his career, which has been halted on a number of occasions through serious injuries.

But, he believes his son has the ability to surpass any of his feats in the saddle if he continues to work hard and stay focussed.

Moffat works for trainer Damien Batters and will ride One In All in the QTIS Maiden Plate for his master on Saturday.

The team behind Moffat have decided to take just one ride in his first experience and take it slow as he builds into regular race riding.

One In All has shown impressive trial form in the lead-up to Saturday’s assignment.

“I want to out ride my country claim and come into the provincial ranks as a competitive rider but the main thing I would say is to hopefully inspire others,” Moffat told the Sunshine Coast Daily ahead of his debut ride.

“I’ve always been inspired by other jockeys so going into the jockeys room at the trials recently and meeting my idols and people I’ve looked up to was incredible.

“It was a real eye-opener and I want to try and have a similar impact.”

Speaking of his idols, Moffat has been taken under the wing of Group 1-winning hoop Nikita Beriman in his journey.

Beriman struck up a partnership with the Batters barn and their former star galloper Party For Two in their Group 1 Blue Diamond campaign earlier this year.

As Moffat was riding plenty of work on the Sidestep filly and Beriman had the job on race day, they have built a close connection.

Butler thinks Moffat’s relationship with Beriman has made his son a better rider.

And, it has also brought him closer to the rookie rider as he matured through working with the top hoop.

“As a father and son dynamic, kids do not listen to their parents too well and if I tell him something, he may not listen, but if Nikita tells him – he will do it,” Butler said.

“Nikita has been a real inspiration to Brodie and been a massive help to where he has got today.

“She teaches him how to balance and polish up on horses. With the help of Nikita, he has come a long way.

“Everything is starting to drop for him now in terms of being a horseman, which as we know is very different to going out there and riding winners.”

Moffat has also been riding track work for top Caloundra trainer Natalie McCall recently, as well.

Butler is enjoying his best riding season in his last four campaigns – collecting 20 victories so far – and has been busy on the North Queensland circuit.

He has a big book of six engagements locked in for Gympie on Sunday as well as one at Caloundra the following afternoon.