‘Ride of a lifetime’: The Harrovian all set for All-Star Mile

It is Friday afternoon and Stephen Massingham is sitting in a Melbourne pub, pinching himself, wondering how he got so lucky.

It is Friday afternoon and Stephen Massingham is sitting in a Melbourne pub, pinching himself, wondering how he got so lucky.

It was only six months ago the Cairns trainer prepared The Harrovian to win the Cairns Newmarket, and now the cult galloper will line up in the world’s richest mile race at The Valley on Saturday.

Massingham, who trained The Harrovian before Toby and Trent Edmonds took over at the end of last year, and is also a part-owner, is in the Victorian capital for the freak thoroughbred’s All-Star Mile tilt.

Ahead of what will be the biggest race of his prized seven-year-old’s career, Massingham said he had managed to keep the nerves at bay – so far, at least.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – MARCH 09: The Harrovian is seen during a trackwork session ahead of the All-Star Mile, at Moonee Valley Racecourse on March 09, 2021 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images)

“I haven’t been too bad,” he told the Cairns Post on Friday afternoon.

“We flew down (on Thursday) and went to a function (Thursday night), and then I went and seen the horse (Friday) morning, so it’s starting to get real now.

“Saturday will be a bit more nerve-racking I think.”

The Harrovian built up an enormous support base during an 11-race winning streak, which started under Massingham in Cairns on July 19, 2019, and ran through to the Listed Bernborough Plate at Eagle Farm on Boxing Day.

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The impressive feat came to an end in his last start, finishing fifth in the Group 3 Shaftesbury Avenue Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on his return to Victoria after almost three years away.

“From coming up to North Queensland and winning a Class 3, to going back down to Melbourne to run in a $5 million race, it’s unbelievable,” Massingham said.

“It was only six months ago he was winning the Cairns Newmarket. It’s crazy.

“I haven’t seen a progression like that before, except maybe Tyzone, who went from racing in North Queensland to winning the Stradbroke.

“But it’s been one hell of a ride, I can tell you that.”

Massingham said a win in the All-Star Mile would only be a bonus.

“As long as he gets home safe and sound, that’s the main thing,” he said.

“It doesn’t really matter to us where he runs — he’s going to go around in a $5 million race, and that’s a dream just in itself.

“For all of us, it’s a ride of a lifetime and we’ve just got to enjoy it while we can.

“It’s satisfying to know we got him as a Class 3 horse and got him to win two metropolitan races in Brisbane, but he’s basically gone to another level at the moment.

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“If he can run a place or something tomorrow, that’s another level again.”

The much-loved “Big H” will have an entourage of about 50 of his biggest fans cheering him on at The Valley.

“We’ll basically get up and go and have some breakfast in the morning and get ready, then we’ve got a bus picking us up to take us all to the track,” Massingham said.

“There’s about 26 of us here at the one place, and there’s going to be about 44 of us in total.

“We’re in the Sunline Room so we’ll all be together and we’ll enjoy the day as a group.”

Co-trainer Toby Edmonds said, while the All-Star Mile would be The Harrovian’s toughest assignment to date, he won’t be disgraced.

“He’s not going to get tailed off by 10 or 15 lengths, I’m sure of that,” he said.

“He’s a trier. I’m confident the horse will do his best.

“If we fall a bit short that’s fine. We can only have him as good as we can have him and he’ll run the race of his life, and if he’s good enough to get close to them and something happens and he can bowl them over, all the better.

“We’re pretty comfortable with whatever happens.”

The Harrovian is listed as a $41 outsider by the TAB, with Arcadia Queen and Probabeel $4.40 favourites at time of publication.

Originally published as ‘Ride of a lifetime’: The Harrovian all set for All-Star Mile