MAURIZIO BLITZES IT

A BIT of wet weather couldn’t slow Cairns sprinter Maurizio as he made a strong return to racing yesterday in the Dillon Bowers Lawyers Open Handicap ( 1000m) at Cluden Park.

Resuming from a fivemonth spell, Maurizio ($ 2.40 favourite) held off the fast- finishing Cleaver ($ 9.50) by a nose with Royal Physician ($ 3.10) coming home third in a blanket finish.

Maurizio was strong away to settle in second behind Rapt In Rumba, who set a cracking pace before apprentice jockey Emily Cass timed her run to perfection to guide the favourite to victory on the soft track.

Trainer Stephen Massingham admitted he was worried about Maurizio being a bit short of fitness given the wet conditions, but said the sevenyear- old gelding didn’t put a foot wrong.

“My only concern was being a run short – he needed the run – but he’s a nice horse and young Em rode him a treat,” Massingham said.

“He handles the wet. Firstup and a wet track makes it a bit harder, but he got the job done so that’s the main thing.”

Maurizio has an impressive record in Townsville with two wins and two places from four starts, while he has missed a place only once in 15 runs under Massingham.

The trainer was happy with how Maurizio is looking after time in the paddock, but Massingham said he would still ease his star sprinter back be- fore targeting bigger races during the Winter Carnival.

“He’ll need another little break before the carnival again,” he said.

“He may only have two or three runs and then we’ll give him a month off and come back and target some better races if he’s going good enough.

“He’s been a good horse to us. I think he’s had maybe 15 runs and been out of a place once, so you can’t complain.

“That was his last run at the end of the last preparation. It might have been just a bit too much of an ask, but you learn from your mistakes. He’s come back fresh and looking big and strong.”

In other races yesterday, Cass rode a race- to- race double with Craiglea Cetina ($ 5.50) in the Two- Year- Old Maiden Handicap ( 1200m) before backing up in the next with Maurizio.

Townsville jockey Graham Klease also had a day out as Easy Weekend ($ 7) proved too strong in the Maiden Handicap ( 1000m) before Cheering ($ 3.70) stormed home in the Class 3 Handicap ( 1000m).