Morgan rides first winner since returning from injury

Jockey Hugh Morgan recorded his first winner since suffering serious injury in March 2021 today, riding Lizrona (17/2) to win Clonmel's Botanica International (Mares) Handicap Chase.

Morgan, who returned to race-riding last Christmas, steered Lizrona to a three-parts of a length win over wayward Good As Hell which hung left in the closing stages.

Morgan, masterful in winning a 2021 Navan three-mile chase riding without irons on Young Dev, said “I suffered a lacerated kidney, broke ribs and fractured three lower vertebrae in a fall at Naas a week before Cheltenham in 2021. I was out for nine months and it took a while to get back.

“I was struggling to get back weight-wise and had good help from physios and dietitians.

“Garry Cribbin is my agent and I'm back riding out with John Flavin a good bit, I'm with Henry (De Bromhead), Paul Power and ride out for Eric (Larkin, today's winning trainer) also.”

Winning trainer Larkin added “I have two horses and one of them is paying her way! If she didn’t perform today, she wasn’t going to be coming back next year but this might change things."

“I didn’t really fancy her - we ran her over hurdles about a month ago and I thought she’d run an awful lot better than she did. She pulled a shoe early and whether that affected her, I don’t know.

"I was very disappointed and thought she might have had enough but one of the owners Gerard Kehoe is based in America so this was a plan as he was returning for Easter. She was running regardless but I was worried about the ground.

"She has three gears and that’s it - she hasn’t a fourth but keeps galloping and plugs away. The schedule for the summer came out yesterday and there are long-distance chases at the likes of Wexford which could suit.”