Gold Coast lawn bowlers hope for rub of green at racetrack

SUCH is Mike Morgan’s dedication to bowls that the long-time horse owner has never watched one of his runners race on a Saturday.

Musgrave Hill Bowls Club player Mike Morgan (navy and yellow strip shirt) with fellow owners and jockey Ryan Wiggins. Picture supplied.

SUCH is Mike Morgan’s dedication to bowls that the long-time horse owner has never watched one of his runners race on a Saturday.

But that will all change today thanks to a phone call from rival bowls club Toombul that has ultimately allowed Morgan to watch Musgrey Hill run in the QTIS Three-Year-Old Maiden Handicap (1400m) on the Gold Coast.

“It’s been very fortuitous for me because for the first time in my life since I have had horses I will be able to watch one run on a Saturday,” said Morgan, a member of Musgrave Hill Bowls Club.

“I’m so devoted to my bowls and I don’t want to let the team down so I never get to see my horses run.

“But Toombul only play on Sundays so the game has been transferred to then. I’m over the moon.”

The bulk of the 18 Musgrave Hill Bowls Club members who have shares in Musgrey Hill haven’t been as lucky with only six free to watch while the others take to the green.

Jockey Ryan Wiggins on Musgrey Hill. Picture supplied.

But for Morgan, who has owned horses since the 1970s, his timing couldn’t be better because Gold Coast trainer Scott Morrisey is adamant Musgrey Hill ($8.50) is on the cusp of winning her first race.

It comes after Musgrey Hill finished fourth in both her previous starts for Morrisey in the past month after joining his stable in December.

“I think she will go well. Bruce Hill’s horse (Mark My Word) will be very hard to beat but I think if my girl can back up from the Sunshine Coast meeting last week, she should be competitive,” Morrisey said.

“If she doesn’t win I don’t think she is far from it.”

A win would almost have the owners, who paid $25,000 for the filly at the 2015 Magic Millions sales, breaking even with a potential $21,850 up for grabs including QTIS bonuses.

It wouldn’t be a bad result for Morgan who initially floated the idea of forming a syndicate from the bowls club.

“I just started asking around and all of a sudden I had a tsunami of people interested,” Morgan said.

“The majority of them are bowlers and their wives and some of them have never had an interest in owning a horse or racing so it’s a really fun thing for them.”