John Morrison in the sulky. Photo supplied.John Morrison is refusing to let history repeat itself.

The young Mid Canterbury horseman moved to the joint lead in the New Zealand junior drivers’ premiership last weekend, drawing level with Sheree Tomlinson on 29 wins for the season, but with five weeks still remaining until the title is decided, it’s anyone’s race to win.

As the defending champion, most will expect Morrison to clear away from the pack, but it’s never quite that simple, and a key learning from 12 months ago, when in the same position is playing in the back of his mind.

“Last season, for about a month there, I became solely focused on winning the premiership,” Morrison said.

“I started driving badly, my focus just wasn’t pointing in the right direction and it took me a while to shake it off, but when I did I hit my straps and ended up winning the premiership by 19 wins.

“So right now, despite of where things are at on the tally, it’s more about just going out and driving every horse on it’s merits.

“Making sure that each horse gets the best chance they need to win and hoping that it happens.”

Having won the premiership, Morrison said the pressure was off to win it again, but if it did happen, he’d be pretty happy to have achieved it.

He would become the first driver since Dexter Dunn, who won in 2011, 2010, 2009 and 2008, to win back-to-back premierships.

“If it happens, it will be great – but I don’t want to lose it by one and think back and know that I over-drove one just to try and win it and got beaten.

“I can say I’ve done it once, not many get the opportunity to do that, anything else is a bonus.”

Should he go on and defend his title, Morrison will be able to look back on the support he’s received in Southland as one of the deciding factors.

Of his four winners since racing returned from lockdown, three have come from that part of the country and he’s consistently picking up a number of drives each week at Invercargill.

“I’ve had huge support down there.

“Trainers who have stuck by me and give me drives each and every week, it’s because of them that I’ve been able to have the success that I’ve had.”

Morrison and Tomlinson might be sitting on top of the premiership table right now, but there’s plenty of pressure coming behind them.

Dylan Ferguson is just two wins behind on 27 for the season, while Ben Hope (25 wins) and Morrison’s fellow Mid Canterbury driver, Sarah O’Reilly (22) are all within striking distance.

“It’s nice and competitive and everyone is driving really well so it could just take one really good weekend for someone to get on top of everyone else.”

Morrison has a busy weekend ahead with racing at Addington tonight, Invercargill on Saturday and then back to Addington on Sunday.

He pointed towards the Laurence Hanrahan-trained Rocknroll Max as a horse he was looking forward to sitting behind tonight at Addington, and suggested that Franco Huntington wouldn’t be his worst chance at Invercargill on Saturday.

By Matt Markham © The Ashburton Guardian - 26 June 2020