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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Matthew Dale made a deliberate pause in Massira’s preparation through the carnival to target some off-season races and he’s hoping for an immediate result at Randwick on Saturday.

Trainer Matthew Dale (Pic: Grant Guy)

It’s been almost two months since the four-year-old’s last appearance, a second in a Highway at Randwick on March 1, and Dale has mapped out a plan to capitalise on this time of the season.

So the TAB Highway (1000m) has been a target since that last start and Dale said he’s been kept in good order with a tickover jump out at home.

“We ran out of Highway races over the carnival, we thought he handles wet tracks so we freshened him with this string of Highways and Benchmark Saturday racing for him,’’ Dale said.

“He had a really good prep, his formlines are great. The form around him through the midweeks and into the Highways have been good and it looks the right race for him.

“There’s other Highways for him and/or 78 grade Saturday races. It’s the right time of year to have him racing.

“He’s got to carry a bit of weight but he looks really well placed.”

Massira, $4.40 with TAB on Thursday, carried 61.5kg and jumped from the outside of 16 when runner-up behind Speck back on March 1 and now faces a more favourable scenario.

With the 2kg off for Braith Nock he’ll drop 1.5kg and has drawn better than the middle of the field, so Dale expects he won’t be too far off them given how well he was positioned from that wide alley last time out.

“Fresh I think he will be a little more 'on',’’ he said.

“When he won at Kembla he pulled himself around the field and hit the lead a long way from home. This is a different set up but he can be closer if need be.

“He’s been a good little online purchase for the owners and they look set to have a bit of fun.”

Martini Mumma makes her return since The Kosciuszko in the Neville Waters Handicap (1200m) and Dale says he’s seeing a very different horse this time around.

The grey has been given three jumpouts to have her ready for a first-up run over a distance she’s yet to win at from her two attempts to date.

“Early days she was quite a sharp filly, everything she is showing us this prep is a little bit more mature and looking to run at fraction further,’’ he said.

“We’re kicking her off at 1200m and I think she may stretch to 1400m. She’s had a good gentle build up and I think she will return in good order.”

While Martini Mumma is expected to roll forward into the first four or five, Dale said stablemate Acappella Sun will be forced to give them a head start from near the outside.

She chased home Lonhro’s Queen, who lines up against her again, at Hawkesbury on April 9 and meets the winner 2.5kg better at the weights.

“She is exactly what she is, you know what you’re going to get,” Dale said.

“She doesn’t win out of turn but she always runs a competitive race. Her run at the midweeks the other day was super.

Massira runs second at Randwick on March 1

“From an awkward draw she will have to take her medicine and go back, but she goes back anyway and it’s a matter of the sectionals allowing her to get into the race.

“She’s down in the weights against her own sex and in good form.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s Randwick meeting