Marway to use Yeppoon trip to get back to top form

By Glenn Davis

Former star Central Queensland sprinter Marway has struggled to regain his best form since returning from Sydney with a serious eye injury but gets his chance to make amends at Yeppoon on Tuesday.

Rockhampton trainer John O’Sing won eight races with Marway before his owners sent him to Sydney trainer Mark Newnham.

The seven-year-old, who will carry the top weight of 63.5kgs in the Open Handicap over 1300 metres on Tuesday, won three races in Sydney before claiming the Wagga Town Plate in May last year.

“He did a good job in Sydney and won more than $200,000 in prize money,” O’Sing said.

Marway did not win in six more starts with Newnham before his owners Greg Sturgess and Peter Wagner returned him to CQ after his last effort at Rosehill on December 4.

It was on his trip home that it was discovered Marway had a tumor in his near side eye lid while spelling at a property near Gatton, west of Brisbane.

“He had to have four bouts of chemotherapy and radiation at the Gatton veterinarian clinic to clear it up and he never raced for several months until he ran first-up in the Lightning in Mackay in July,” O’Sing said.

The defeat wasn’t a great surprise to O’Sing as Marway has an ordinary fresh record and he was well short of match fitness.

A set weights race lured O’Sing to run Marway second-up at Thangool and the decision was vindicated with a runaway win over 1300 metres.

He was then aimed at the Cleveland Bay Handicap in Townsville but he again disappointed, tailing off last in the big field of 16 runners.

“The Cleveland Bay was only his third run back from a spell and he weakened after leading at one stage,” he said.

“He ran third at his last run at Emerald at his next start but he never had any luck and didn’t handle the heavy track.

“Apart from the heavy track he hit his head on the barriers and the mesh on his pacifiers was pushed up against his eye.”

O’Sing, who put the polish on former Rockhampton star sprinter Our Boy Malachi, is confident Marway can turn his indifferent form around at his fifth start this campaign.

“He’s drawn barrier one and should lead them on his ear,” he said.

“He’s done well and I’ll see how he performs before deciding where to go next.”

O’Sing has named the Adrian Coome-trained Plenty as the main threat following his close fifth to the Tumbler Ridge at Doomben on August 20.