Flat jockey Luke Morris had a spell riding in Japan earlier this year. The Oxford-born rider has established himself as one of the best in the sport over the last couple of years and that earned him the opportunity to gain some experience abroad.
Japan hosts some of the biggest and most prestigious races in the world, including the Japan Cup, Tokyo Yushan (Japan Derby) and Tenno Sho. Morris may be set to return to the Asian country this winter, and if he does, he will be looking to be involved in some of those contests.
St Leger Next Chance to Win a British Classic
Now Morris is back in the UK, his focus will be on becoming a British Classic winner. His next opportunity will come in the St Leger at Doncaster where Los Angeles is the 3/1 favourite in the horse racing betting markets.
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Los Angeles is likely to be one of the popular horse racing tips as he won the Irish Derby at the Curragh on his last run. Morris will be hoping he booked one of the leading challengers to the Irish horse. Those include Jan Brueghel, Illinois and Highbury. The race over 1m6f is the final British Classic of 2024.
Morris finished his campaign in 2023 with 92 winners in what was another fantastic year. He is now trusted by many of the leading trainers in the UK, as he rides for Sir Mark Prescott, Sir Michael Stoute and Simon and Ed Crisford.
Alpinista Helped Put Morris in the Spotlight
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Although Morris is a jockey who is used to having a lot of success in the sport, his career was elevated to a new level in 2022 thanks to Alpinista. The star mare won the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp in Paris under the hands of Morris. It proved to be the biggest victory in his career.
The Oxford star rode Alpinista in big races all over the world. He won the Grosser Preis von Berlin, Preis von Europa and Grosser Preis von Bayern in Germany, while in Great Britain, he landed the Yorkshire Oaks, one of the most prestigious races of the summer.
In total, Alpinista and Morris teamed up for eight consecutive victories. The pair landed several awards at the end of the 2022 campaign for the year they had on the track.
Jockeys’ Championship This Season
Morris is chasing a top-10 finish inside the British Jockeys’ Championship standings this season. He went into the final three months of the campaign just outside of the top 10, but an excellent spell in late July has helped him climb the standings.
The former Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner is unlikely to reduce the deficit enough on Oisin Murphy before the season ends on British Champions Day at Ascot on the 19th of October. Barring an injury or suspension, Murphy is on course to regain his title in Flat racing.
Morris will be hoping for a strong finish to the year in the UK before a possible return to Japan in November.
