TAMWORTH trainer Mark Mason will make a rare trip to Sydney next Tuesday – but first, he’s got runners at Moree today and Muswellbrook Sunday to saddle up.
Mason has nominated emerging sprinter Who Goes There for the 1000m Highway Handicap on Big Dance Day at Royal Randwick, but says a trip down the New England Highway depends solely on today’s barrier draw.
Mason’s busy week starts at Moree, with Zoffany’s Gaze in the 1200m B&W Rural-Adama BM-66 Handicap and Dubliner Boy in the 1400m Heffernan Electrical Country Boosted BM-58 Handicap.
On Sunday, he starts Deebo – scratched from Moree today – in the 1280m Country Boosted BM-58 Handicap.
Who Goes There at Randwick on Melbourne Cup Day rounds out a few big days for the popular trainer.
“We’ve got a bit on. If I can get a winner at every track, I might have Wednesday off,” Mason laughed.
Who Goes There logged its third win from five starts at Tamworth a month ago, when ridden by Christian Reith.
The all-the-way win was good enough for Mason to consider a trip to town, and Reith will stick.
“If Who Goes There draws OK we’ll go down. The horse seems to go good,” Mason said.
“At Tamworth, he got to the front after about 100 metres, then put a couple of lengths on them after straightening – it was a good win.
“I said to Christian before the race to tell me whether the horse was good enough to win a Highway Handicap. I said, if you think he’s not up to it, I won’t be offended.
“When they came back, Christian said ‘you better pack a port, and I’ll come and ride him’.”
At Moree today, Mason starts Zoffany’s Gaze first-up in the BM-66 handicap and Dubliner Boy second-up in the BM-58 handicap.
Irish jockey Robbie Downey rides both horses.
“Zoffany’s Gaze goes good fresh, with four goes first-up for two wins and two thirds,” Mason said.
Dubliner Boy was kept ticking over with a barrier trial at Armidale last Saturday after a first-up mid-field run in early October, also at Armidale.
“He ran a nice trial. He was back last and just pulled to the middle of the track and got home under his own steam for third,” Mason said.
Deebo, scratched from Zoffany’s Gaze’s race at Moree, will start in the 1280m Beauty Co Country Boosted BM-58 Handicap at Muswellbrook on Sunday.
The lightly-raced five-year-old, with Downey booked to ride, was an eye-catching third first-up at Tamworth four weeks ago.
“I wanted to split Deebo and Zoffany Gaze up, so I’ve accepted with Deebo at Muswellbrook,” Mason said.
“It was a good run here at Tamworth first-up and he should make nice horse later on over 1400m or 1600m.”
Words and Image: Bill Poulos
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