MARK Mason has nominated three of his 11-strong stable for Sunday’s $20,000 Furneys Stockfeeds Tamworth Class 2 Handicap (1200m) but will “split them up” so they don’t clash on the day.
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All three – Golden Legacy, Emily’s Song and Epic Event – have been racing well and are talented gallopers on the way up.
They were high up in the benchmark ratings too before weights were issued for Sunday’s meeting.
Mason said Epic Event will contest the Furneys Stockfeeds Tamworth Class 2 Handicap.
He added: “Emily’s Song will go into the benchmark 55 1200m and Golden Legacy, we might trial and then run him here at the next meeting. That’s a showcase meeting too.”
He said all three “are pretty well up there” in benchmark ratings and are “going all right”.
“Little Emily’s Song has only had the five or six starts, won a couple and run a couple of placings,” he said.
“Epic Event ran second first up with 62.5kg six weeks ago. He’s had a foot abscess. That’s why he hasn’t had a run since [then]. Golden Legacy has only had the five starts, for two wins.”
Golden Legacy, a four-year-old bay gelding son of Northern Meteor, has finished out of the placings just once, when seventh to Try A Lil harder in a Highway Handicap at Rosehill.
There were excuses, though, Mason said of that run, but added: “We might have backed him up a bit quick after his win here [Tamworth].
“He’s better than that. [Jockey] Hugh Bowman said he didn’t have much spring in his step that day and that might have been too quick between runs and the trip down there.”
Mason will also run three-year-old Mystic Splendour on Sunday and is hoping she draws well.
“She ran a good third at Quirindi and then second here the other day,” he said.
“[Jockey] Robert [Thompson] said she was four and five deep most of the way and was only beaten a half length.”
While Mason has just the 11 in work, he’s still “going pretty good” in the Hunter and North West Racing Association premiership.
“We’ve got a few babies, unraced two and three-year-olds getting ready to race too,” he said.
Unofficial 2017-18 HNWRA trainers’ premiership (supplied by Geoff Newling):
42 points: Kris Lees, 33 Paul Perry, 31 Brett Cavanough, 20 Stirling Osland, 18 Sue Grills, 16 Rod Northam, 13 Peter Sinclair, 12 Paddy Cunningham, Allan Denham, Craig Martin, Luke Morgan, Les Tilley, 11 Cody Morgan, Melanie O’Gorman, 10 Jason Deamer, Stephen Jones, Mark Mason, 9 Mel Dennett, Paul Messara.
