From the all-weather to shining on Alpinista: how Luke Morris grafted to the top

Britain's hardest-working jockey is a label Luke Morris can hardly be embarrassed about, but when his name is now mentioned expect people to recall his Arc heroics on Alpinista, rather than the many miles he has covered travelling for thousands of rides.

Putting fuel in his car has never been an issue for Morris, whose cousin Ryan Tate, uncle Jason Tate and grandfather Joe Tate were also jockeys.

He moved to Newmarket as a child and graduated from the British Racing School before an apprenticeship with Michael Bell and his first winner, Caerphilly Gal at Southwell in November 2005.

A maiden high-profile victory came on the Bell-trained Juniper Girl in the 2007 Northumberland Plate, while Clive Cox supplied the rider's first success at the highest level when Gilt Edge Girl landed the Prix de l'Abbaye on Arc weekend 12 years ago.

That was the first season in which Morris rode in more than 1,000 British races, something he has done for the last 11 seasons, prompting the old joke about not buying a used car off him.

Luke Morris drives Alpinista to a gutsy and deserving success in the ArcCredit: Edward Whitaker

Around that time his relationship with Alpinista's trainer Sir Mark Prescott – a captivating character and as obsessed with the sport as the Oxford native – was beginning to blossom.

It was cemented in 2016 when Marsha was another Abbaye heroine for Morris, who also landed the following year's Nunthorpe on the star sprinter.

They were triumphs which allowed the 33-year-old jockey to dine at the top table when he might have become accustomed to the fare at less glamorous locations.

He has ridden at Chelmsford, Southwell, Lingfield, Kempton and Wolverhampton – where he is booked for six rides on Monday evening – more than anywhere else.

However, while all-weather racing will forever be a poor relation to its turf counterpart in Britain, Morris's industry and success on it kept his name in headlines and helped him forge a reputation as someone who got the job done.

Flamboyant and swashbuckling he is not, but Morris has long been a thoroughly decent, admired member of the weighing room who could be riding on the moon but would still check with long-serving agent Neil Allan if there was a spare going at Chelmsford on the way home.

He will, after an afternoon to savour on his first Arc ride, have to come back down to earth first though.

Read more on the 2022 Arc

'I'm very lucky aren't I?' – awesome Alpinista earns Prescott glorious first Arc

Not a vintage Arc but marvellous mare Alpinista produces another career best

Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe: where your horse finished and who won

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