Tamworth trainer Mark Mason chases city double
MARK Mason heads to Sydney today chasing a Canterbury success with De La Hoya tonight and a first-up win with sprinting star Hidden Pearl at Randwick tomorrow while also eyeing off a Country Music Cup win at his home track next Thursday.
The Tamworth trainer now prepares Hidden Pearl, a brilliant sprinting mare who has won almost $350,000 in prizemoney for her Barraba and Tamworth owners.
A seven-year-old daughter of Hidden Dragon she is out of a good sprinting mare – Panama – that Mason used to train for the Phil White-managed syndicate.
Panama won a number of races locally and in Sydney while her gifted daughter has won eight of her 21 starts.
“She seems okay,” said Mason.
“She won a trial at home well, ran 50.6secs, it was a good run.”
He hopes she is back to her best and, if she is, could be a definite chance.
However she has not started since finishing a 12 length last to Snitty Kitty in a 1050m Lightning Handicap at Doomben last June.
Hidden Pearl has also drawn eight of eight in her comeback race, the $100,000 Rebecca Louise Summer Sprint (1000m), with Robert Thompson to ride.
Thompson will also jump aboard De La Hoya in tonight’s $40,000 Win $10K Cash at Canterbury BM-75 Handicap (1100m).
The six-year-old gelding son of Dubleo has won four of his 12 starts for Mason and returned from a long spell at Scone with a cracking third to Bonita on December 15.
Freshened from that effort he has drawn well (5) tonight in a race that also includes the Sue Grills-trained Under the Thumb.
“He has drawn well and has been working good,” Mason said.
While Mason has Hidden Pearl and De La Hoya chasing metro success tonight and tomorrow he has a trio of definite threats at next Thursday’s Concrete Industry Supplies Tamworth Country Music Cup meeting – Strictly Concert, Golden Legacy and Lucky Vision.
Like Hidden Pearl, Lucky Vision is first up from a spell and tackles Thursday’s feature race, the $30,000 Concrete Industry Supplies Tamworth Country Music Showcase Class 1 Handicap (1200m).
Tamworth trainer Mark Mason chases a city double with De La Hoya at Canterbury tonight and Hidden Pearl at Randwick tomorrow (Image Copyright Bill Poulos).
The five-year-old chestnut gelding son of Lookin At Lucky hasn’t started since finishing an 11-length 11th to Dalmatia Prince at Tamworth on April 17 last year.
Golden Legacy is a talented four-year-old gelding son of Northern Meteor yet to finish out of a place in his three career starts. He is a last-start winner at Gunnedah and while Mason accepted for Thursday’s $30,000 Hunter Pods Class 2 Showcase Handicap (1000m) Golden legacy is more likely to start in a Highway handicap in Sydney tomorrow week.
“We threw him at Tamworth just in case he drew bad in Sydney,” Mason said.
Strictly Concert is also having his second run back from a spell in the $30,000 Concrete Colour Systems BM-70 Showcase Handicap (1200m).
CONCRETE INDUSTRY SUPPLIES TAMWORTH COUNTRY MUSIC CUP NOMINATIONS (benchmark ratings listed where available): All Political (George Woodward) 51, Almaheart (Peter Cleal) 51, Blaine (Mark Hatch) 47, Chevaria (Anita Rossiter) 42, Clever Chloe (Sue Grills), Construction Girl (Janelle Butler), Cool Stinger (Nathan Sinclair) 46, Eight Field (Tas Morton) 47, Fairy Fragments (Brett Thompson) 50, High Dive (Mack Griffith), Jack’s Bar (Kris Lees) 53, Lady Cromac (Stirling Osland) 57, Love For Willow (Rod Northam) 51, Lucky Starlet (Jeremy Sylvester) 51, Lucky Vision (Mark Mason) 47, Manning Treasure (Colt Prosser) 44, Moss Heart (Sally Torrens) 45, Oscar The Grouch (Cody Morgan) 53, Rock Springs (Scott Thompson) 40, Rooibos Deluxe (Brett Cavanough) 51, Sagan Star (Geoff O’Brien) 46, Saint Helena (Jeremy Sylvester) 52, Single Image (Paul Smith) 51, Snipex Abaa (Robert Davies) 50, Sound Sleuth (Gavin Groth).
Words: Geoff Newling
Image: Bill Poulos