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A veteran marvel with a huge impost and a young apprentice are both the sentimental and TAB race favourites in heavy conditions at the Bathurst TAB meeting on Tuesday - transferred from Orange.
Rising nine years, Dubbo's Careering Away has been burdened with 67.5kg in the worst going for his 80th race start in the Epiroc Bm58 Handicap, 2000m relieved by the 3.5kg claim for Angela Cooper .
As three-decade trainer Garry Lunn works wonders with his placement through limitations.
"It just gets tougher with those weights and few country staying races in his distance range that's why I had to take him the ten hours to town and the old fella went terrific," Garry said.
Careering Away certainly did, at $33 he led to the late stages at Warwick Farm over 2100m when a close third to Al Aabir and Lord Desanimaux.
Riding him trackwork, Lunn's managing is admirable as the aged gelding carried a career light of 52.5kg at "The Farm" for an amazing 23rd placing amidst 10 career wins.
Accumulated early days in Victoria, the horse was competitive at Flemington and Sandown before winning races in Queensland and finally to Central and Western NSW for Lunn.
"He's beaten most of these before, he'll do his thing grinding on-pace and they always put up the white flag up long before he even thinks about it," Lunn chuckled, as he again opposes stablemates of his younger brother Michael in outsiders Club Town and Yak.
"Last prep he finished fourth in the Orange Cup behind the Baker's Shameonus, that was a Big Dance qualifier. Nothing in this race is capable of that form.
"And he's racing just as well this prep. I ride and swim him and he's worked like a winner.
"That weight brings him back to them, but I still think he's got them covered with the claim."
Lunn has been keeping a close eye on the maximum regional claimers especially for this race and settled on Cooper.
"Seen a lot of this girl, trackwork and the races, she's confident and very capable. We spoke the other morning.
"I told her to watch the replay of the way Ellen Hennessy rode him at Warwick Farm. You need to be aggressive, get him out and rolling and make it a test.
"He'll stay 2000m stronger than them, has won twice at 2400m. He's got exceptional soft form and handles heavy.
"Even with that weight on the worst side of it, I'm not concerned."
Lunn has set Careering Away for the upcoming Country Staying Challenge in town. Meanwhile Bjorn Baker and Bathurst's Dean Mirfin have numbers and form to dominate the remainder of the seven-race program.
