Morrison retains faith in Telecaster with Group 1 races on the agenda

Hughie Morrison is delighted with stable ace Telecaster and is readying last season's Dante winner at the top Group 1 races this season.

The son of New Approach struggled following his York success a year ago – where he defeated subsequent top-level winners Too Darn Hot and Japan. Following the Dante, Telecaster finished last in the Derby and seventh in the Eclipse.

But he has reportedly improved following Morrison's patient approach and his trainer hopes he can return to his best form this year and make his presence felt at the top level.

Watch Telecaster win the Dante

"He's cantering away and has done some nice bits of work," Morrison said. "We're looking forward to get going with him. We'll look at the big mile-and-a-quarter races for him but I wouldn't be surprised if he could go a little further.

Hughie Morrison and Oisin Murphy with Telecaster after victory in the Dante StakesCredit: Edward Whitaker

"He's a big, strong, powerful horse and he appears to have settled down a lot since last year. I'm not sure where we'll go but we'd like to start in a Group 3 somewhere but even that is going to be full of Group 1 horses so we'll see."

Morrison is relishing the start of the new campaign with his talented group of three-year-olds including impressive debut winners With Respect and Starcat.

"We've got a handful of three-year-olds that I think are really nice," added the trainer. "With Respect will be better off on soft ground so we might find the summer a bit tricky with him. We've had a dry summer so maybe we'll have a soft-ground summer!

"We've always been keen on Starcat. He got a high Timeform rating on debut but he's a quiet one at home so I'm not sure what I've got there. I think he's a mile or mile and a quarter horse. We could go straight to the Guineas with him.

"I've always loved Kipps and I think he's a nice horse."

'Racing is potentially a heavyweight but we're punching as a flyweight'

Morrison also expressed his frustration following Monday's news that sport would remain suspended until at least June 1, criticising how government treated horseracing as a sport and not an industry.

In France, racing was back earlier this week while football remains on hold and Morrison is disappointed that authorities in Britain did not opt for a similar outcome.

He argues horseracing and bloodstock should be categorised as an industry rather than a sport due to the amount of people employed across the various sectors. That change may have seen racing restart earlier.

Hughie Morrison: 'I don't have any faith, we seem to hang on the coattails on other sports'Credit: Edward Whitaker

Morrison said: "I'm frustrated. Looking between the lines I think we could be racing now but we've ended up promoting ourselves next to football. If we went along to one of those [government] meetings I suspect we'd be sitting on the back row. We forget the huge amount of people we employ compared to football.

"We're an industry and not just a sport, the sport is the sharp end an industry. We've failed dismally to tell government that. We're potentially a heavyweight but we're punching as a flyweight."

He criticised industry leaders in particular, adding: "I don't have any faith, we seem to hang on the coattails on other sports. The sport is what goes on but where's all the promotion of rural areas and the people at the grassroots level. Where are the leaders promoting the veterinary staff, the small breeders and the guy who grows the oats.

"What is clear to me is the lack of ability from leaders to promote ourselves. France has recognised that and they have a different mindset, that's why they're racing there."

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