Trainer Keeps the Faith in Stable Favourite

Cairns trainer Stephen Massingham will be tuning in somewhere in Italy to watch his tough old campaigner Battle Cry trying to land yet another win at Cluden Park on Thursday.

Nine-year-old Battle Cry, one of the most consistent horses in training in the North, will be lining up for his 13th career win in the Ladbrokes Open Hcp (1400m).

And Massingham will be making sure he’s up in the early hours of the morning to catch a live broadcast of the race.

“I won’t be missing it wherever I am. He just never runs a bad race and I expect him to run a big race again,” Massingham said on a bus heading to Venice.

“I was up at two in the morning on Tuesday before the meeting at home (Cairns). I just couldn’t sleep waiting for them.” 

Massingham has taken time out from a busy work and training schedule for a much anticipated three-week holiday in Europe.

But that hasn’t stopped him watching the fortunes of his team back in the north while he’s been away.

The stable landed a winning double at Cairns this week, but ended up with four seconds, coming on top of two seconds at both Cairns and Townsville in November.

He thinks Battle Cry, most likely on his last preparation, might help with the holiday expenses on Thursday, under the steadier of 61kg with Ryan over his favoured 1400m.

The veteran galloper has never raced better, scoring a surprise first-up win over 900m in a TAB fixture in Innisfail before going down in a photo to Lady Rain in the Amateur Sprint at Cluden on November 17.

“He’s going as well as he’s ever gone I reckon, Massingham said.

“He’d never run a place at eight goes first-up before Innisfail. He’d been working good but I just thought he’d need the run. He ended running over the top of them.

“The other day in Townsville he was just a bit unlucky. The winner got an easier run near the fence and he had to come around them with the big weight.

“He really hit the line hard the old horse. He’s always been a trier.

“I think in his last 26 starts he’s finished top 5. That just goes to show how honest he is and lately he’s been having to carry these big weights and he’s still competitive.

“I wish I had more like him.

“The weight is the problem and he’ll be giving most of them on Thursday five or six kilos - but they’ll want to be on their toes.”

The stable will also saddle up Mutafiq in the Tanquery NO. Ten BM60 Hcp (1200m).

Massingham said a change to riding the gelding from behind would soon pay dividends.

“His last two runs were good. We were riding him for speed last prep but this time we’re riding him a big quieter and he’s been hitting the line good,” Massingham said.

“I give him a chance but Super Art from up here is low flying and will be very hard to beat.

“But our bloke is going well, the team at home is doing a great job, and hopefully we can get a result.”