It's 1000 marvellous winners for Hughie Morrison

Veteran trainer Hughie Morrison toasted his 1,000th career victory with Miss Fairfax coasting to victory at Catterick.

Morrison took out a licence in 1997 and while concentrating on the Flat, every year bar his first he has had winners over jumps.

Notable jumps winners include a Cheltenham Festival success with Frenchman's Creek and the Fighting Fifth Hurdle this season when Not So Sleepy dead-heated with Epatante in a thrilling Grade 1.

Miss Fairfax may not be quite Grade 1 level yet but she ran on in the Meetings That Matter On Racing TV Mares' Novices' Hurdle to give Morrison a 99th jumps winner, while 19 of his victories have been overseas.

"My son mentioned about six months ago that we must be getting quite close, so we've done the maths," said Morrison.

"I had my first runner 25 years ago in March, so we've averaged 40 a year which can't be bad.

"We've had Group One winners on the Flat and Grade One winners over hurdles and Alcazar, who was 10 when he won his Group One (in 2005) and is still alive.

"The jumpers have never been more than about 10 per cent of the string. I think when you have good ones like we did at the time with Frenchman's Creek and Marble Arch, people tend to remember them more."

He went on: "We've got a few nice novices this season, like the one who won today, all she does is stay.

"She never picked up the bit at any stage she's so laid back, all she does is stay and gallop. People talk about staying Flat horses which are usually slow, but as long as they can breathe and stay sound, they can also be very good. It's not all about five-furlong horses!"