The consistent Cahervillahow was a great servant for Morris, winning eight races in total. However he is perhaps best known for his unfortunate defeats than his victories. He came within a short head of winning the 1991 Irish Grand National and three weeks later he was controversially disqualified in the Whitbread Gold Cup having finished first past the post. He also had the dubious honour of finishing second in the infamous 1993 Aintree Grand National which was voided following a shambolic start.
Later that decade, the immensely talented His Song was the flag bearer for the Morris yard. He was among the top novice hurdlers of his generation, finishing second to Istabraq in the 1998 AIG Champion Hurdle on just his fourth racecourse outing before again finishing the runner-up berth in the Supreme Novice Hurdle. He gained compensation for that defeat less than six weeks later when winning the Champion Novice Hurdle at the Punchestown Festival. There was understandably quite a bit of expectation surrounding him when he went over fences the following season and he did not let his supporters down, winning the Denny Gold Medal Novice Chase and the Irish Arkle. Unfortunately though, he experienced physical problems after his novice chasing season and never recaptured the same level of form.
Foxchapel King ensured that the transition into the new millennium was a smooth one for Morris, winning the 1999 Troytown Handicap Chase before finishing in the frame in a number of big handicaps later in the season including the Irish Grand National. It was in late 2001 however that he really made his mark, winning the Munster National, the James Nicholson Champion Chase and the Ericsson Chase in the space of ten weeks.
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There are few better examples of the ability of Mouse Morris to get the best from an injury prone horse than the JP McManus owned Keepatem. He won three times over hurdles between January 2000 and April 2004 and twice finished in the frame in the Martell Cognac Handicap Hurdle at the Aintree Grand National meeting. However, he saved the best performance of his career until he went over the larger obstacles. Under a vintage waiting ride from Conor O’Dwyer, he landed a gamble of epic proportions in the 2004 renewal of the always competitive Paddy Power Chase in Leopardstown on only his fifth start over fences having been shrewdly campaigned in the months leading up to the race.
The consistent Cahervillahow was a great servant for Morris, winning eight races in total. However he is perhaps best known for his unfortunate defeats than his victories. He came within a short head of winning the 1991 Irish Grand National and three weeks later he was controversially disqualified in the Whitbread Gold Cup having finished first past the post. He also had the dubious honour of finishing second in the infamous 1993 Aintree Grand National which was voided following a shambolic start.
Later that decade, the immensely talented His Song was the flag bearer for the Morris yard. He was among the top novice hurdlers of his generation, finishing second to Istabraq in the 1998 AIG Champion Hurdle on just his fourth racecourse outing before again finishing the runner-up berth in the Supreme Novice Hurdle. He gained compensation for that defeat less than six weeks later when winning the Champion Novice Hurdle at the Punchestown Festival. There was understandably quite a bit of expectation surrounding him when he went over fences the following season and he did not let his supporters down, winning the Denny Gold Medal Novice Chase and the Irish Arkle. Unfortunately though, he experienced physical problems after his novice chasing season and never recaptured the same level of form.
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