Ash Morgan making most of his opportunities with biggest success on Our Anchorage in the Group 3 Parramatta Cup

After grafting out the hard yards in the NSW bush, former English jockey Ash Morgan is now right at home in the city as he booted home Our Anchorage to win the Group 3 Parramatta Cup.

Ashley Morgan guides Our Anchorage to victory in the Group 3 Parramatta Cup at Rosehill. Picture: Getty Images

Late bloomer Ash Morgan snared the biggest win of his life when emerging talent Our Anchorage made it four wins on the spin at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

The reigning NSW premiership winning jockey showed his class after getting the best out of Bjorn Baker’s in-form staying prospect late in the Group 3 $250,000 Parramatta Cup (1900m).

It was another reward for persistence and hard work for Morgan, who moved to Australia from the UK in 2018 and started his Australian riding in the NSW bush.

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The 34-year-old has steadily risen through the ranks and had his first stakes winner on the first day of 2025 after booting home Iowna Merc in the Listed Canterbury Sprint at Canterbury.

“It’s working out well,” Morgan said.

“We’ve put in a lot of hard work for the last four or five years to try and get these opportunities and it’s usually in the off-season in the winter.

“We knock off a few winners and then we disappear back after that.”

“But I feel like this time I’m really getting a good run on. I feel like I’m riding well, I’m getting great support off trainers like Bjorn, Ciaron (Maher) and Nathan (Doyle), so just making most of these opportunities while I can.”

Morgan eased his way forward from an awkward gate to have Our Anchorage ($3 favourite) travelling outside the leader.

Our Anchorage fought off the challenge of Redstone Well and stuck to the task late to edge out the John Sargent-trained Palmetto ($9) and Chris Waller’s Kinesiology ($8.50).

Our Anchorage makes it FOUR wins in a row and takes the G3 Parramatta Cup for @BBakerRacing and @AshMorgan6! 🤩@Darby_Racing | @aus_turf_clubpic.twitter.com/QsDZIXBctJ

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) February 22, 2025

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“I thought it was a great ride by Ash Morgan,” Baker said.

“He’s a smooth rider, he’s a big time rider, his second win today and he’s going to cement himself at home in Sydney city.”

“He’s doing a fair bit at the moment and I think he’s a good judge, he’s a good rider and he’s getting results.”

Our Anchorage, raced by Darby Racing, has been a revelation for Baker this preparation with victories at Randwick Kensington, Royal Randwick and Rosehill before Saturday.

His latest success will force Baker to raise the bar a little higher with the Warwick Farm conditioner set to consider preparing the son of Galileo for the Group 1 $2m Sydney Cup (3200m).

“You just keep believing and hoping and we’ll just see where we end up,” Baker said.

“He is nominated for the Sydney Cup and I think over a bit further he might be better again.”

Baker will let the dust settle before deciding Our Anchorage’s next assignment.

Our Anchorage is a $26 chance to win the Sydney Cup.

Originally published as Ash Morgan making most of his opportunities with biggest success on Our Anchorage in the Group 3 Parramatta Cup