Mason earns Battle of the Bush chance
Mackay trainer Olivia Cairns has made the six-hour trip to Barcaldine to grab the last place in the rich Battle of the Bush final with Mason’s Chance.
The gelding will now join 15 other runners in the $100,000 Battle of The Bush Final at Doomben on June 23.
The Barcaldine race in central Queensland on Saturday was the last of the 16 qualifying heats run across the state.
Racing Queensland has launched the series in an effort to boost interest in country racing.
RQ chief executive Brendan Parnell said the series had been well received in country areas and would hopefully be an annual event.
“The field sizes have been good in most qualifiers and the final looks set to be a hotly contested event,” he said.
The finalists are Fab’s Cowboy (Cunnamulla), Just Call Me Louie (Emerald), Emperor Maximilian (Bundaberg), Man Around Town (Gordonvale), Kakakenny (Longreach), Galea Warrior (Mt Isa), Klammer (Warwick), Stellar Knight (Burdekin), Timetus (Central Warrego), Exstratum Thangool), Canid (Nanango), Big Tomee (Atherton), Gingersnap (Bowen), Drinking Cocktails (Cloncurry), Go Get Sum (Goondiwindi) and Mason’s Chance (Barcaldine).