Harrovian fans wait on border changes
QUEENSLAND freak The Harrovian will have an entourage of 50 of his biggest fans on All-Star Mile day but the owners, including his former trainer, hope border restrictions lift so they can travel to watch him launch his Melbourne autumn mission on Saturday.
Cairns trainer Stephen Massingham, who prepared the cult horse before Toby and Trent Edmonds took over for his last two wins of an 11-race winning sequence, is keen to travel to watch the galloper resume in the Group 3 Shaftesbury Avenue Handicap at Flemington.
Many others in the horse’s fan club are hopeful too, but Queensland border regulations currently dictate that anyone who travels to Victoria must serve a two-week quarantine period on returning to the Sunshine State.
“At this stage, we can get to Melbourne but we can’t get home (unless abiding by a quarantine period),” Massingham said.
“I’ve got 15 horses at home that I need to look after.
“I’m hoping restrictions may be lifted Friday or Saturday but most of us are going to wait until the last minute to book a flight.
“If we can’t get down we will go to one of Tom Hedley’s (part-owner’s) pubs in Cairns and have a few beers while watching the horse on Saturday.
“Regardless, there will hopefully be about 40 or 50 of us coming down for the AllStar Mile to cheer the horse on next month.”
Regardless of the border situation, Brisbane rider Brad Stewart has committed to The Harrovian’s autumn campaign and will ride him on Saturday and then stay on for the All-Star Mile at The Valley on March 13.
It was initially planned The Harrovian would race first-up in last Saturday’s Group 1 Futurity Stakes but the team took the easier option this weekend.
The Harrovian is $5 on Saturday, with Bam’s On Fire the early favourite, and $26 in the All-Star Mile.
“Next month, we get a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have a go at a $5 million race but in saying that you would think those horses would be too good for us,” Massingham said.
“But you never know until you have a crack.
“When he left Cairns we were wondering if he would be up to Brisbane grade, he has gone to Brisbane and won four straight.”
The Harrovian has drawn favourably in barrier three for his 1400m test at Flemington on Saturday.