Code bought to have crack at U.S. circuit

Medici Code, who lit up the all-weather scene with three impressive successes for trainer

Hughie Morrison, has been sold to join the California stable of Darryll Vienna.

Morrison, who paid just 12,000gn,

admitted that an offer of £300,000

was too much for the Medici Code’s

owners, The End-R-Ways

Partnership, to turn down.

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The gelding wowed his American

buyers with impressive wins in

three-year-old handicaps at

Southwell (twice) and

Wolverhampton.

Morrison said: "We had three serious

offers and the owners didn’t want to

sell him, but there comes a point

when you can’t say no. Hedge funds

have nothing on this, the difference

is we don’t take 50 per cent of the

profits."