Griffith to make his mark in 'Mack town'

By Jordan Gerrans

Feature runners Aimpoint and Amicus Curiae will have local support on their side when they start at Mackay on Friday as the 2025 Northern Queensland Winter Racing Carnival builds momentum. 

The Mack Griffith-prepared pair are in the Sunshine State’s ‘Sugar City’ after heading north from their Mudgee base in New South Wales. 

Aimpoint is likely to stay on for the Mackay Cup while in-form trainer Griffith mulls heading further north to Townsville for the remainder of the carnival. 

It is a long way from Mudgee in the Central West of NSW to Mackay and Griffith says the gallopers will have some hometown fans this Friday.

The Nebo-based Julie and John Borg are two of the major shareholders in Aimpoint and Amicus Curiae while fellow owner Peter Rees is a regular visitor to Queensland for the carnival. 

Aimpoint will contest Friday’s H.L. Black Memorial – which is a key lead-in event to the local Cup – while stablemate Amicus Curiae has drawn a wide alley in the $75,000 Newmarket. 

“The races fit in nicely with their ratings,” Griffith said.

“It is a long way to come so you need to ensure you bring the right horse. They have been getting big weights down our way, so they fit in perfectly.

“So far everything has gone to plan, the horses have settled in nice. Everyone has welcomed us and the horses are going well.”

The Griffith barn have booked Brisbane apprentice Bailey Wheeler for their feature runners on Friday. 

The talented Wheeler has developed an outstanding association with the Mudgee-based yard after they combined with Compelling Truth to claim the Listed Hinkler Handicap at Eagle Farm last month. 

They will stick together next week, as well, with Compelling Truth heading to the Ramornie Handicap with the apprentice to do the steering at Grafton. 

Griffith has set up shop at Thomas Parker’s Mackay stables for the last week or so ahead of Friday’s meeting. 

“We have been up here for a week and they have settled in nice,” the visiting trainer said.

“It has worked out well so far.”

Amicus Curiae resumed at Canterbury in the middle of June after a short freshen-up and Griffith thinks the 1300 metre Mackay Newmarket is a suitable assignment for the nine-time career winner from 45 attempts.

“He won first-up last prep at Warwick Farm, so I think that form is good enough to be very competitive in Mackay,” he said.

“If my horses bring their ‘A-game’, they will be very competitive, but it is very hard to get a line through the form here on the local horses.

“I would think the form from down our way is a little stronger than up here.

“The big plus for us is our bloke drops down to the minimum, 54kg, after he carried a big weight in Sydney at his last start. The weight drop will be a massive plus for him.”

Aimpoint will also have to tangle with a wide alley in Friday’s H.L. Black Memorial over 1800 metres.

The Wellington Cup champion from earlier this year is on a Mackay Cup path which will be contested later this month. 

“He is going super,” he said of Aimpoint.

“The last run before he went for a spell, he carried 62kg and we had to give five kilograms to Campaldino who went on to win Group races in Brisbane.

“He had a first-up run at Canterbury, which was a fitness run more than anything, just to make sure everything was ok with him. 

“Even though his form may read bad in the form guide, it was a better run than what it looks so I wouldn’t take too much from his last run.”

It has been some time since Griffth sent a runner from his team this far north in Queensland. 

Binalong Road raced in Mackay and Rockhampton way back in 2016.

The Griffth stable are in the midst of their best season in over a decade. 

The barn has 31 winners to their name at a strike-rate of over 21% which is their best mark in both categories dating back to the 2016-17 campaign.