Massingham prepares for multi-pronged Cairns Amateurs attack

By Andrew Smith

The number 50 – it’s the elusive mark that Stephen Massingham is desperate to reach this racing season.

The premier Far North Queensland trainer has had a half-century of victories in his sights for several years, but has fallen agonisingly short the last few campaigns.

Massingham was crowned the Cairns Jockey Club's 2023/24 Trainer of the Year for his 29 wins at Cannon Park.

This week's Cairns Amateurs Carnival will be a chance for the stable to add to the four wins it already has in its name for the 2024/25 season.

Massingham has 19 acceptors across 13 races on the two days of racing at Cannon Park.

“We’ve got plenty of runners, we try and target these times of year to get as many runners as we can,” Massingham said.

“We always try and plan on training 50 winners a year - last year we trained 46, the year before 49.5, so we’re just still chasing that goal.

“We’ve only normally got around a team of 15, but at the moment, we’ve got 20.

“After the carnival it will cut back a bit, and it will drop off while over the summer months it’s a bit warmer and we cut back a bit.

“But we try and get 50 winners and get around the $1 million prizemoney for the bosses, that’s a big thing.”

Massingham’s multi-pronged attack will be spearheaded by Armour Force, Mr Maestro and Fifth Position in Saturday’s Amateur Cup.

The conditioner rates Mr Maestro as his best chance in the 2100m trip.

The gelding finished fourth in the Cairns Cup late last month and Massingham believes the five-year-old is primed for an assault on the $150,000 Cup.

“He went to Rockhampton and missed the Rockhampton Newmarket, but his couple of runs for me have been good,” Massingham said.

“His run in the Cleveland Bay, they were a bit sharp for him but his run here in the Newmarket was really good, he really hit the line good.

“It was a quick backup the week from the 1400m to the 2100m, and his run in the Cairns Cup was good.

“He's another bit of a thinker and he's got pletny of ability - the ability is there, you’ve just got to get it out of him so I was happy with his run and I think he’ll be heard to beat.”

Armour Force will also be looking to bounce back after finishing outside the placings in 8^th in the Cairns Cup.

The gelding has placed twice since returning to racing in July after a 10-month stint in the paddock.

“In the Cup he got a check at the 600m and lost a bit of momentum but he’s the sort of horse that needs a bit of a free flow into the race,” Massingham said.

“I was a little bit disappointed but when he got a check at the 600, he was just tracking up into the race nicely, there was a bit of scrimmage with a few of them coming into the straight.

“He was always going to improve off the 2100m run, and I think he’s in with a good chance.

“Mahagoni won well and will be the one to beat on Saturday.”

Cairns Cup victor Mahagoni is the heavily-backed favourite for Saturday’s feature race.

Massingham will also launch a trio into the Cairns Amateur Sprint Open over 1400m, with Brilliant Mind, Full Recognition and Turbeau looking to hold out favourite, the Roy Chillemi-trained Speed Legend.

The $75,000 race will mark the end for Brilliant Mind and Full Recognition, with both horses set to be retired after Saturday.

“Brilliant Mind, I’ve had him about 10 or 11 years, he’s been a good old horse,” Massingham said.

“Full Recognition has had 13 wins, he’s been really good to us – it’s just the weight is catching up with him, and we’ve tinkered with him the last few weeks so he should be good.

“Turbeau is another nice old horse we brought up from Victoria, his first up run was really good in the Cleveland Bay consolation race…he’ll get into the race this week, he’s a nice old horse with ability.”

The time-honoured Cairns Amateurs marks the end of the 2024 Northern Queensland Winter Racing Carnival.

Massingham said the end of the carnival would bring some downtime for the stable.

“There’s a good atmosphere and you always get a big crowd, and the prize money is good but it’s mostly the crowd,” Massingham said.

“After this we’ll target a few of the little Country Cups around here in Gordonvale, Innisfail, and head to Ewen after this weekend.

“But no real big plans with the team, a lot of the horses after Saturday will go to the paddock and head off for a break.”