Trainer Mark Mason has some lofty long term ambitions for his exciting Tamworth three-year-old Who Goes There who was electric winning on debut at Scone last month
Granted, the Mark Mason trained three-year-old hasn’t arrived at ‘base camp’ yet but if he can repeat his dazzling Scone maiden win in Monday’s Benchmark 58 at Tamworth, the dream is alive.
Who Goes There, a handsome son of Golden Rose winner Exosphere, drifted from ‘red’ to ‘black’ odds on debut in the nation’s horse capital on April 17 despite his stunning six-length trial win beforehand.
The Form: Complete NSW Racing thoroughbred form, including video replays and all you need to know about every horse, jockey and trainer. Find a winner here!
Mason’s charge was more like twos-on shot once he and jockey Grant Buckley pinged the lids in the 900m Scone scamper.
‘’He drew a little bit awkward and Grant said he didn’t want to get caught out there so he was positive on him,’’ Mason said.
‘’Once he gave him a dig and he crossed them, it looked pretty good from there.
‘’Grant said when he was out on his own that (the horse) got a little bit lost and started to look at the signage around the winning post
‘’He said he just gave him a bit of a slap just to put his mind back on the job and said he accelerated really well
‘’They can beat an ordinary field but as long as they win well and run good time, it doesn’t matter,’’ said Mason.
Grant Buckley will ride Who Goes There on Monday. Picture: Mark Evans – Getty Images
For the record, Who Goes There crossed the line in a time of 50.63 seconds which compares favourably with Invincible Gangsta’s five year old track record of 50.10 seconds.
‘’He will have this one on Monday and then he will go to the paddock, win, lose or draw,’’ Mason told the Daily Telegraph.
‘’Grant, myself and his work rider all think he will be better next time.
‘’We’ll give him a break and get him ready and probably go around in a Highway or something like that.
‘’Long term, I’d like to have a go at the Kosciuszko.’’
Mason and Buckley stand a tremendous chance of a race to race double to conclude Monday’s Tamworth meeting with Taketheshot scheduled to go around immediately prior to Who Goes There’s much anticipated encore performance.
Buckley steered Taketheshot to an all-the-way win at Tamworth on April 1 which prompted Mason to tackle the TAB Highway on The Coast day at Gosford.
‘’It was all over once he missed the kick,’’ Mason said.
‘’He doesn’t really like racing inside horses but Grant didn’t have much option.
‘’Hopefully on Monday he can jump well and go to the front like he did when he won here at Tamworth.’’
Mason, whose tally of winners at his home track presently sits at 266, has two chances of taking out the Tamworth City Toyota Benchmark 66 Handicap (1600m) via either Zoffany’s Gaze or Albrecht mare, Strelitzia.
Both horses can lay claim to being ‘track specialists’ of one kind or another.
Three of Strelitzia four wins are at Tamworth whilst Zoffany’s Gaze has only missed a place there once in six appearances.
‘’Zoffany‘s’s Gaze ran fourth at Scone last start and the horse that ran fifth of Brett Cavanough’s (Rhythm is A Dancer) won the Country Cup there on Friday,’’ Mason said.
Strelitzia meanwhile has a nine and two zeroes next to her name but has run in the H&NW Qualifier, Northern Wildcard and Mornington Prelude at her last three.
‘’She’s been going around against some pretty handy horses,’’ Mason pointed out.
‘’If she recaptured her form from last time, she would be right there I would think, especially with the claim.’’