Just over three weeks ago she gave birth and tonight harness racing superwoman KerryAnn Morris just won a Group 1.
Morris caused an upset when taking out the $100,000 TAB Regional Championships Metropolitan Final when her mare Eye Can Run did just that at Tabcorp Park Menangle.
This gave Morris her first Group 1 win as a driver, a night after her husband Robert Morris won the Hunter Final of the TAB Regional Championships at Newcastle.
“He was lucky enough to win a Group 1 last night and I’m lucky enough to do it tonight,” Morris said.
Morris had her daughter Stella on April 27 and was back in the sulky 12 days later.
Having had a 16 drives since, Morris landed her first winner back at Goulburn yesterday courtesy of the aptly named Allaboutthemoment who was the fancied runner to win.
The same cannot be said for Eye Can Run tonight who ended up at odds of $57 with the NSW TAB.
“It’s what I do for a living and I’m more thrilled for the owners of this horse,” Morris said when returning to scale.
“She’s had a really good week and even though her form doesn’t read as good, she was right tonight.
“We’ve been aiming her for this race and it couldn’t have panned out any better.”
After beginning from barrier one, Morris settled her Heston Blue Chip mare three-back on the pegs as the favourite Muscle Factory worked his way to the front after galloping in the score-up and making ground quickly to gain his position.
With the second elect Send It being positioned outside the leader by his driver Brad Hewitt with a lap to go, the pressure was building which suited Eye Can Run.
With a strong lead time of 49.6 seconds for the 2300m and a first half in 59.5 seconds, the tempo stepped up a notch with the third quarter run in 27.3 seconds.
This opened up the field and as the leader yielded ground, Morris was able to angle Eye Can Run into the clear in the home straight.
The last quarter of 27.8 seconds gave Eye Can Run a winning margin of more than two metres over Send It in a mile rate of 1:54.9.
“Ariche (son) and Stella were at home with Nan and Pop (Margret and Peter Morris) and would have been cheering me on, well Archie would have been,” Morris said.
As for Eye Can Run, she has boasted a strong record at Menangle throughout her career winning the Group 2 Pink Bonnet at her second start and also a heat win and placings in the semi final and final of the Breeders Challenge as a two-year-old.
Eye Can Run is raced by Alex Smith, Russell Woods and Margaret Morris.
As for Morris, she has trained 1348 winners and driven 673 winners in her career and has won the New South Wales Trainers’ Premiership twice.
She is currently ranked second in this season state trainers’ premiership behind trainer Belinda McCarthy.