McConachy relies on Montenegro Man in Cairns Newmarket

By Glenn Davis

Rockhampton trainer Jamie McConachy has rolled the dice and settled on Montenegro Man as his sole runner in the Cairns Newmarket on Saturday.

McConachy also has the in-form Acrophobic nominated for the 1400 metre feature but feared the seven-year-old would be a borderline hope of making the final Cairns Newmarket field.

While Montenegro Man travels north, Acrophobic will stay in his stable and will start in the Class 6 Plate over 1600 metres in his bid for a fourth straight win at Rockhampton on Thursday.

“Acrophobic would most likely be an emergency in the Cairns Newmarket so his owners decided to run him at home in Rockhampton on Thursday,” McConachy said.

McConachy is yet to win the Cairns Newmarket but did finish second with Friendly Dragon behind Scherzoso five years ago.

The Cairns Newmarket will be Montenegro Man’s 58th start which has produced 10 wins and 18 placings with prize money of more than $435,000.

Montenegro Man started his career with Mark Kavanagh in Victoria before finding his way into the Kelly Schweida stables in Brisbane and then to McConachy.

The nine-year-old was an unlucky fourth behind the Lachie Manzelmann-trained Outback Action last start in the Mackay Newmarket over 1300 metres last month.

“He was unlucky in the Mackay Newmarket when he was held up and he was only beaten one length,” McConachy said.

“He’s going to 1400 metres this time and the extra distance will suit him a lot better.

“If he can run up to his Mackay Newmarket run, he’ll be hard to beat, but it looks like being a very strong field this year.

“Justin (Huxtable) is riding him again and he told me he should have won the Mackay Newmarket easily.”

Huxtable has been riding in great form during the winter carnival in Central and North Queensland.

He rode the Graeme Green-trained Top Spy to claim the 2024 Northern Winter Carnival series for fillies and mares when she won the Belle Of Whitsunday at Mackay last Saturday.

Top Spy previously won the Belle Of Capricornia at Rockhampton and the Belle Of The Burdekin in Townsville last month.

Meanwhile, McConachy is confident Acrophobic can continue his winning ways at Callaghan Park.

“He’s well weighted at set weights in Rocky and it’s still a Class 6 Plate,” McConachy said.

“He was back in distance to 1300 metres last start, and it wasn’t his go, but he still won. Going to 1600 metres will suit him a lot better at Rocky."