Race for Trainer’s Title Heats up on Big Magnetic Mile Day

Cairns trainer Stephen Massingham is hoping to continue a late season charge at Cluden Park on Sunday in the race for the Townsville trainers’ premiership.

Massingham and defending title holder Georgie Holt are locked on 18 wins apiece with only two race meetings left.

Both stables have multiple chances engaged on Sunday in a battle for the upper hand.

Massingham, with the backing of the north’s biggest owner Tom Hedley, landed a winning double last weekend to close the gap and raise his hopes of landing his first Townsville premiership.

“It was good to get the two winners last weekend to level up. It would have been hard chasing Georgie down otherwise,” Massingham said.

“We’ve got a few numbers this week and the last meeting we’ll start Speed Legend and a few of the better ones as the better races come up. 

“We’re under a bit of pressure. Georgie might be too good for us, I don’t know. She’s got some nice runners on Sunday but we’ve got seven in and they’ve all got some chance.”

The battle for the premiership will be no hotter than in the feature race of the day, the Ladbrokes Magnetic Island Open Hcp (1609m) which offers the winner automatic entry into the $150,000 Ladbrokes Townsville Cup on August 9.

Massingham will start topweight Mr Maestro and Smart Legend, and Holt will saddle up the exciting Tambo’s Justice and John Joseph, all of whom will be up against early favourite Beau Rain.

Comeback galloper Mr Maestro is Massingham’s top seed for the Cup.

As a three-year-old, he won the G3 Norman Robinson at Caulfield and finished fourth to Manzoice in the 2022 VRC Derby before bowing a tendon.

Massingham acquired the now five-year-old last year and is following a slow, meticulous preparation to have the gelding at his peak for the northern cups.

He will have to shoulder 63kg on Sunday from a wide draw (14), before scratchings, while Smart Legend – a Brisbane winner three starts back- will carry 54.5kg from barrier 2.

“I’d have to lean towards Smart Legend because of the weight and draw but Mr Maestro is a very good horse,” Massingham said,.

“On his work I expect Smart Legend to run very well.

“He’s a Brisbane winner, three starts back, and he won at Canterbury five runs ago so he’s in really well at the weights.

“He’s down in the ratings and probably needs a win or two to get into the Cup so it would be nice to win on Sunday with him.

“Mr Maestro is a class act but it’s a big ask to win with the weight and alley.

“I’ve brought him along slowly to build up the miles with him. He was probably in work 13 weeks before he had his first run and ran an enormous race to finish fourth to Speed Legend in the WFA here a fortnight ago.

“He’ll run Sunday and may not have another run until the Cup. 

“I don’t do that much with him. I gallop him on the grass, he does pace work on the sand and probably swims five times a week just to try to hold him together.

“As long as the track has a bit of give in it on Sunday we’ll be alright.

“We’ll just nurse him through that run. There’s a 1900m in Cairns if we have to run him again.”

Massingham expects to see a better version of Mr Maestro at this year’s northern carnivals than last year when he showed glimpses of form but failed to win a feature.

This time Massingham gave the gelding a long spell before embarking on a slow-steady build-up in fitness for a return to the track.

“We’ve just been trying to get the miles into him without hammering the old fella and hopefully have him at his peak for the Cup third or fourth run in.”

While the Magnetic Island Mile will hold major interest as a Cup pointer, the stable also expects Golden Octavian, Armour Force, Almighty Jab, Harrow and Turbeau to be competitive in their respective races.

Turbeau will tackle the Open Hcp (1000m) which has drawn a top flight field that includes course and distance specialists Roweiner’s Dance and Molongle Surprise.

In what is shaping as a dress rehearsal for the Lightning Hcp on August 2, Roweiner’s Dance has won 12 times over the Cluden 1000m and Molongle Surprise has won eight.