Massingham tips his hand in Magic Millions Country Cup qualifier

By Glenn Davis

Cairns trainer Stephen Massingham concedes he’s unlikely to return to the state’s South East if he wins the Magic Millions Country Cup qualifier at Cairns on Saturday.

Massingham, last season’s Cairns premiership-winning trainer, launches a dual attack on the 1250 metre Magic Millions Country Cup qualifier with Bold Type and Fodor.

Massingham is best known among southern folk as the trainer who put the early polish on The Harrovian who won nine straight races before the former training partnership of Toby and Trent Edmonds took over.

He has been to Brisbane twice with a runner with The Harrovian and Full Recognition.

“I sent The Harrovian down when he won twice in Brisbane at Eagle Farm and Doomben four years ago then Toby Edmonds took him over,” Massingham said.

“I haven’t had a runner down there since Full Recognition was beaten at Doomben in May.”

Despite his dominance in the state’s Far North, Massingham is yet to have a starter in any of the big Queensland country features - the Battle Of The Bush, Country Stampede or Country Cups Challenge Finals, which are held in Brisbane each year.

“I haven’t had one good enough to go down but I haven’t concentrated much on winning the qualifying races up this way to get into those big races,” Massingham said.

“It’s something I need to change in the future as it’s very good prizemoney.”

Massingham favours Bold Type as the pick of his pair and has booked Ryan Wiggins to partner the nine-year-old.

Bold Type has started 66 times for 12 wins and 25 placings and is coming off three consecutive seconds - all for Wiggins.

“Bold Type is racing very well but he’s not a Magic Millions graduate so he can’t go to the Gold Coast,” Massingham said.

“Big weights have caught up with him up here and he’s run three seconds in a row and only just got beaten on the post last start and is looking for 1200 metres.”

While Bold Type is ineligible for the Magic Millions Country Cup, stablemate Fodor is eligible but Massingham is undecided if he will make the trip for the $500,000 feature over 1200 metres on January 11.

“If Fodor wins, I’m not sure if he’ll go to the Gold Coast as it’ll be up to his owner, Tom Hedley,” Massingham said.

“He’s racing well and was chopped out at the start when he finished second in Cairns last start.”

Massingham rates the Tom Button-trained Jemeldi and Lidder Valley from the Roy Chillemi stable as the main dangers.

“Jemeldi is racing well and Lidder Valley is flying but I wouldn’t swap either of mine,” Massingham said.