Ligulate loves the sunshine state but the gelding's rise through the ranks has him destined for a trip back to NSW to chase higher honours.
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The Cody Morgan-trained six-year-old claimed his fourth victory in Queensland on Saturday to take his career wins to nine in total.
Ligulate was an easing favourite for the $75,000 Global Engineering & Construction Open Handicap at Eagle Farm but defied the drift and won with ease.
Morgan has a course plotted for the gelding which will lead him to Sydney to contest a Group 2.
"He'll go around up there [Queensland] in a fortnight again and then most likely come back to Tamworth and then head down to Sydney to the Villiers because there's not too many options for him," Morgan said.
"He's a 100 rater now and speaking to Luke Murrell from Australian Bloodstock, he'll probably be in a Group 2 in a couple starts time.
"He'll be guaranteed a start in it just with how high his benchmark is now. I never envisioned he'd get up to where he is. I think he's 100 after yesterday. It allows him to get into those Group 2, Group 3 races."
Ligulate joins Edit, who took on Group 1-winning horses in the Classique Legend Stakes a week ago, as another horse of Morgan's to be aimed at Group races.
It makes for an exciting time for Morgan and his stables.
"I've got a lot in work but probably those two [Edit and Ligulate] are the only two I can foresee racing at that level but it's really, really good. Hopefully others can join them," Morgan said.
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Ben Jaffrey
Ben is a content curator and journalist for The Land. He has been with ACM since 2015 and first worked at The Area News and then at the Northern Daily Leader. Ben first joined ACM Agri as a digital journalist for all seven agricultural mastheads in 2022 before shifting to The Land full-time in 2023.
Ben is a content curator and journalist for The Land. He has been with ACM since 2015 and first worked at The Area News and then at the Northern Daily Leader. Ben first joined ACM Agri as a digital journalist for all seven agricultural mastheads in 2022 before shifting to The Land full-time in 2023.
