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.
 
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.
 
Fota Island is another horse that has allowed Morris to exhibit his abundant talent to place his horses to excellent effect. Having won both of his bumper starts, his connections opted to skip a novice hurdle campaign with him and go straight over fences. However, he failed to make a serious impact in his three starts over the larger obstacles and his attentions were soon turned to hurdling. It took a while for the penny to drop with him in that sphere, but by the end of the 2003/2004 season, he had finished in the frame in three Grade 1 contests. The following season he was sent back over fences and while it again took a while for him to get the hang of things, he came good in spectacular fashion at the 2005 Cheltenham Festival, landing a significant gamble in the Grand Annual Handicap Chase. Three weeks later, he defied a 12lbs rise in the ratings to win the Red Rum Handicap Chase at the Aintree Grand National meeting. In the 18 months since that win, Fota Island has continued to improve, but he has yet to get his head in front in a Grade 1, despite having filled the runner-up berth in no less than four of them.
 
When discussing the training career of Mouse Morris, pride of place has to go to the immensely talented War Of Attrition. His career began somewhat inauspiciously at a point-to-point at the Horse And Jockey back in March 2003 where he fell at the last fence with the race at his mercy. He was not seen again in public until the following November when finishing a promising second to Zum See in a Naas maiden hurdle. He disappointed when sent off as favourite for his next start in Thurles he gained compensation with a comfortable win in Punchestown just over a week later. He then took the scalp of Macs Joy in a Navan conditions hurdle a fortnight later before running very disappointingly indeed in the Grade 3 Slaney Novice Hurdle. He was found to have mucus in his lungs following that run and he was put away until the Supreme Novices Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. Not many people gave him a serious chance in the race and his SP of 33/1 reflected this. However, he ran the race of his life under Conor O’Dwyer to finish a ¼ length second to the future Champion Hurdle winner, Brave Inca. That highly encouraging performance led many to believe that he would take high rank among the novice chasing brigade the following season.
 

He made a promising start to his chasing career, narrowly prevailing in a Thurles beginner chase over 2m 6f. However he injured a splint bone during the race and was absent for three months as a result. He made an impressive return to action in a Naas novice chase over two miles the following February and he went to the Arkle Chase at the Cheltenham Festival as an Irish banker.
 
However, he could never get competitive in a race that was run at a blistering pace and could only finish seventh. He was again sent off as favourite in Aintree but he could only finish a distant second to Ashley Brook. The Swordlestown Novice Chase at the Punchestown Festival looked to be a red hot contest and having jumped the second last it looked as though War Of Attrition would again have to fill the runner-up berth, this time behind Watson Lake. However, that horse tied up badly on the run-in and Mouse Morris’ charge exhibited stamina in abundance to make up an immense amount of ground to snatch the verdict in the final strides. Following the race, both Morris and Conor O’Dwyer were quick to suggest that he would be a much better horse over three miles the following season and a number of commentators boldly predicted that he could well develop into a Cheltenham Gold Cup contender.

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