THE JOY OF SIX
IT WAS only an idea a few weeks ago but the chase for the $200,000 Northern Crown series bonus is well and truly on now for The Harrovian and his connections.
After winning the Townsville Cup last month, leading North Queensland owner Tom Hedley floated the idea of targeting three northern Cups for 2019, but was not adamant they would follow on to the Cairns Amateurs Cup.
But now, after his gelding is on track for the triple treat of northern racing, it is full steam ahead for the six-year-old.
The Harrovian added Saturday’s Cairns Cup to his win in the Townsville Cup two weeks earlier, meaning if he can win the Amateurs Cup in Cairns on September 14 his connections will pick up a $200,000 bonus.
“It is magnificent and a dream come true to buy horses like this from down south,” Hedley said.
“They are low grade horses and we give them time, and the Massingham boys have done a marvellous job with this horse.
“They paced him through his journey and we will take some time again and hopefully be rewarded again.
“We will go the Amateurs Cup now for sure, the horse is as sound as a bell, touch wood, God bless us and we will be back in a few weeks.”
There is no chance that legendary jockey Robert Thompson will not be back in the Far North to help claim the series bonus.
“You’ll need a crowbar to get me off him (for the Cairns Amateurs Cup),” Thompson told Sky Racing.
If in-form gelding The Harrovian does go on to claim the Amateurs Cup as well, it would be back-to-back successes in the race for the Massingham and Hedley team, after Multifacets won the race in 2018.
The Harrovian has now won all four of his starts at Cairns.
“The horse has had eight starts for six wins and two seconds for us,” Massingham said.
“You cannot do much more than that.
“We should be here for the Cairns Amateurs Cup, we have a decision to make but we will see how we go.
“How good is it to win your own Cup? It does not get any better.
“For my team, it is an amazing effort, plenty of long hours go into these horses to get them to the races.”