MARK Mason was going to sidestep the inaugural running of Friday’s $25,000 Stacks Law Firm Walcha Lightning (1000m), but has opted to tackle the new sprint on Walcha Cup Day program.
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The Tamworth trainer nominated Hot Hit for the support feature, but thought he might have been better off “going to town” next Wednesday.
On reflection he realised he was better off travelling up the 50 minutes or so to Walcha.
“I was going to go to Sydney,” he said.
“But he was going to get 60 and half kilos down there. He’s got 62 and a half up there (Walcha) so I thought I’d go up there. Matt McGuren is going to ride him, he’s in pretty good form too and rode him when he ran second in Brisbane one day a while ago.
“So I thought I may as well go to Walcha rather than travel all the way down there (Sydney).”
The emergence of the Walcha Lightning is another reason why the two-day Walcha Cup Carnival continues to thrive, Mason said.
Hot Hit is in a nine-horse race and while he’s carrying a big weight has drawn well (6) and has been working well.
Win, lose or draw it will be valuable race fitness for a six-year-old gelding, who has won eight of his 23 starts.
He has been one of Mason’s stable stars in recent years and now backed up by the emergence of De La Hoya, who is being aimed at the Scone’s heat of the $150,000 Country Championship Qualifier on March 5.
Mason also has Strictly Concert on a Country Championship campaign, with the gelding resuming in next week’s preview at Scone.
