MASSINGHAM IN LINE TO COMPLETE A LIGHTNING, NEWMARKET, CAIRNS CUP CLEAN SWEEP

By Graham Potter | Saturday, August 23, 2025

They might be calling him Mr Maestro after the running of the Cairns Cup.

Stephen Massingham, the Cairns Premiership winning trainer last season, is on the brink of landing an unprecedented sweep of feature races over the three-day Cairns Carnival.

The Massingham stable already has wins in the Lightning and the Newmarket in the bank courtesy of Lady Damus’s success last Saturday and Speed Legend’s Newmarket romp on Friday … and now the target sights have realigned to be firmly fixed on taking out the Cairns Cup on Saturday, a race in which Massingham will saddle three runners … including what could be the aptly named Mr Maestro.

Mr Maestro finished fifth in the Townsville Cup last time out with Ryan Wiggins in the saddle and the Cairns Premiership winning jockey has given the New-Zealand bred a vote of confidence by retaining the ride. Wiggins was the winning rider aboard Speed Legend in the Newmarket.

Smart Legend and Armour Force are the two other Massingham trained runners.

Smart Legend finished third in the Townsville Cup, coming home 2.50 lengths ahead of Mr Maestro. He was a winner in the run before that in the Winter Cup, also in Townsville, so has good current form to recommend his chances. Sean Cormack, who rode Smart Legend in both of those races and who saluted aboard Lady Damus for Massingham in the Lightning, will again be in the saddle.

Armour Force has finished on the fringe of the placings in recent starts. He would appear to have a bit of ground to make up, particularly chasing from a wide barrier, but he does have Jason Taylor taking the reins and Taylor is no stranger at bringing back long-priced winners.

Smart Legend is currently the Cairns Cup favourite at $4.50. Mr Maestro is quoted at $10 while Ammour Force is $36.

The betting boards have Sir Grace as a close-up second favourite at $5.50, suggesting that if anyone is going to spoil the Massingham party it will be the Warwick Satherley trained chestnut who will be ridden by Nathan Thomas.

Sir Grace’s last run is a big recommendation. He finished second in the Townsville Cup, flashing home marginally ahead but virtually alongside Smart Legend with Mr Maestro back behind that.

It might be Massingham’s stage for the moment, but there is no doubt Sir Grace will be right in this.

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