Racing: Cody Morgan down to one runner in Kosciuszko after medical scare

Morgan and his team found an irregularity in Talbragar's heart rate last week, which proved to be symptomatic of a heart condition which will require a "small operation", Morgan said.

"We're quite lucky, we work all our horses in heart rate monitors and it just showed up that there was an irregularity," he said.

"We got our vet to check it, and sure enough he had a heart condition. I'm just grateful we were able to find this issue, because he didn't look off at all."

Talbragar's forced exit means Morgan will have just the one runner, Broken Hill, in the $2 million race scheduled for this Saturday at Royal Randwick.

Also read:

The five-year-old gelding hasn't been with Morgan as long as his stablemate, but losing one horse has not shaken the trainer's belief that they can win.

"He's going really well," he said.

"He trialled last Wednesday and went particularly well ... with everything that we've seen at home, Broken Hill is well and truly up to that level. I don't go down there thinking that we're any less a chance than what we were last week."

Dylan Gibbons will ride Broken Hill this weekend, with whom Morgan has a long association.

The 21-year-old has compiled over 300 career wins, and was described by Morgan as a "very capable rider".

"He's ridden for me since he was a three-kilo claiming apprentice riding winners for me in Tamworth," he said.

"Now, he's riding in the biggest country race in Australia. He's won Group Ones here, and has a strong association with the owners."

Now a (comparatively) old hand in the Kosciuszko, Morgan no longer loses sleep over the race.

Instead, he believes every year he gets closer and closer to getting the formula for victory right. And, most importantly, he thinks Broken Hill ticks many of the right boxes.

"What horses we aim at the race is vital," Morgan said.

"We've learned over the last few years where we've gone wrong. They've got to be able to run a strong 1,200 metres, they've got to be a big, strong horse.

"And Broken Hill fits that category."

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: