Massingham hopes to claim first leg of Country Cups Challenge

By Glenn Davis

Trainer Stephen Massingham is hopeful of claiming his first Atherton Cup with former Sydneysider Don Arcangelo in Far North Queensland on Saturday.

The Atherton Cup is the first of 16 qualifying races for the Country Cups Challenge Final, which will be run at Doomben on December 3.

And, while the Country Cups Challenge is being run on the northern Tablelands, the Country Stampede qualifiers gets under way in the Central Queensland town of Springsure.

The Country Stampede Final also will be run alongside the Country Cups Challenge Final at Doomben in December.

A field of six will take part in the 2000 metre Country Cups Challenge qualifier at Atherton while the Country Stampede over 1000 metres has attracted five starters.

“I’ve never won the Atherton Cup but my father did,” Massingham said.

Don Arcangelo arrived in FNQ from Sydney-based trainer John O’Shea - who hails from the northern area of the Sunshine State - after being placed in a 2200 metre Benchmark race at Warwick Farm in February.

The five-year-old is part of the Tom Hedley’s ownership group but is yet to win in seven appearances for Massingham.

The son of Savabeel was a three time winner in Sydney and is coming off a last start fourth to the Fred Wieland-trained Star Status in last Saturday’s Cairns Amateur Cup at Cannon Park.

Massingham had hoped Don Arcangelo would make it to the Cairns and Townsville Cups but he was too lowly rated to make either Cup fields.

“He didn’t get a run in either the Cairns or Townsville Cups because his rating was too low,” Massingham said.

“He was a genuine stayer when we got him and he’ll make a good stayer up here next year.

“We were a bit behind the eight-ball when he first came here but he’s got a good chance on Saturday.

“I was very happy with his run in the Cairns Amateur Cup as the winner won by more than three lengths and he was just behind the placings.”

Massingham said the Country Cups Challenge Final was tempting but Don Arcangelo would likely go to the spelling paddock after the Atherton Cup.

Meanwhile, Roma trainer Craig Smith is hopeful Hezhome can claim the first of 16 qualifiers for the Country Stampede Final at Springsure, which is located west of Rockhampton.

Hezhome is having his first start since finishing fifth to Master Jamie in the Tattersall’s Gold Cup at Rockhampton in late June.

The six-year-old has won three of his eight starts first-up and is a six-time winner over the distance.

“He’s been in work about ten weeks and is going good enough to be competitive fresh,” Smith said.

Smith’s apprentice Liv O’Donnell is booked to ride Hezhome.

“Liv rides well and has ridden a few winners since she had five months off with a broken collarbone a while ago,” Smith said.