Messara seeking change of fortunes during trip to Tamworth

He had little or no luck in Saturday’s rain-hit Country Championship Final at Randwick, but leading trainer Paul Messara can waste no time hitting back at Tuesday’s feature Tamworth meeting.

The Scone-based horseman saddled up Akasawa from a wide draw in the final, but after early interference and a checkered path, the five-year-old could only plug home into a midfield position.

Just three days on though and the Messara camp reloads on Tamworth Cup Prelude day, buoyed by a track that should improve to around a Soft 6 range.

Part of a selective two-prong team, smart four-year-old Dundeel mare Mirror Queen takes a significant rise in distance third-up in the Mornington Prelude Open Hcp over 2100m.

A four-time winner from just nine starts, Mirror Queen has had two handy closing runs over unsuitable 1400m trips, the latest well behind stablemate Akawasa in a Country Championship Qualifier at Tamworth five weeks ago.

Desperate for more ground, she’s ready to show the form that saw her sweep to an exciting win in the BM 68 Wyong Cup Prelude over the same distance late last winter.

Only 35 minutes earlier, promising and lightly raced stablemate filly Sumptuary is set to take the next step third-up in a Class 2 Hcp over 1200m.

Already a dual winner at Muswellbrook, and having finished well in a Class 2 Highway at Rosehill, Sumptuary looks one of the better-weighted runners on the program after apprentice Braith Nock’s 3kg claim, and she can set her sights on another Highway, or bigger target over the Scone carnival next month by winning this.