MARK Mason has two runners in Tuesday's $22,000 Hope Fuel Open Handicap (1300m) - De La Hoya and Eye On America - and the Tamworth trainer believes both will run good races, in what he hopes will be good lead-ins to the January 1 Inverell Cup.
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De La Hoya has drawn barrier nine and will be ridden by Daniel Northey while Eye On America has drawn barrier one with Darryl McLellan.
Six-year-old De La Hoya is coming off a last-start third at Narromine, resuming from a four-week freshener. The son of Dubleo has won six of his 25 starts and has had just the one start at Gunnedah, finishing just over a length behind Rothbury at Riverside in a 1000m Class 2 back in December 2016.
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Seven-year-old Eye On America has had just the 14 starts, winning four of them. The gelding son of All American will be making his Gunnedah debut.
"Both have been handy horses for me," Mason said. "We'll go over their tomorrow [Tuesday], and provided they pull up all right, will go to Inverell for the Cup."
He added: "They galloped together the other morning and there wasn't much between them. They also had a recent trial and they ran second and third."
When asked to pick which one was the best, Mason said De La Hoya.
"He finished just in front of him (Eye On America) in the trial," Mason, who hopes his other runner on Tuesday, Gold legacy, will make a successful return.
"He's first up from a spell too and up in grade a bit. He's in a benchmark 66 but [is] only a class-two horse. I could have found something easier for him but there was nothing around."
He hopes Gold Legacy "turns up". "There are two of him," he laughed.
Mason isn't the only trainer with a pair of runners in the 1300m Hope Fuel Open Handicap.
Mudgee trainer Gayna Williams, who has had much success at Gunnedah over the last 12 months, has two runners - Iona Nicconi and Redirect. Grant Buckley will ride Iona Nicconi from barrier eight and Ken Dunbar will go from barrier five aboard Redirect.
Then there is Tamworth trainer Cody Morgan. He has topweight Goldstream and Over And Above engaged in the race, Wellington Cup winner Goldstream will jump from barrier 10 and Over And Above will jump from barrier four with Aaron Bullock aboard.
"The Open looks a really good race," club secretary Lyn Tongue said. "The fields have held up really well considering the racing we've had lately. "
