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By Greg Prichard

Tuncurry trainer Joseph Burges has done a great job with Toomuchinformation since becoming the horse’s fourth trainer and the pair is well placed to chase another good result at the Taree race meeting on Sunday.

Toomuchinformation will run in the Hydrahose Summer Cup Benchmark 66 Handicap over 1258m - a distance that is right up his alley.

By the time Burges picked up Toomuchinformation as a late five-year-old, the gelding had raced 24 times for three wins and eight placings.

Tuncurry trainer Joe Burges. Image by Bradley Photographers

Since then Toomuchinformation, now six, has raced another nine times for two wins and three placings.

Towards the end of his previous campaign and at the start of this one, Toomuchinformation has shown a real zest for racing.

He won a Class 2 & Above Benchmark 58 Handicap over 1250m at Kempsey on July 30 and then rose sharply in class to contest a Benchmark 86 race, the Hopkins Livermore Cup, over 1405m at Taree on August 16.

Toomuchinformation put up a good effort as a $13 chance to run third behind Run Rory Run and Baltic Coast that day.

Burges then sent the horse for a spell and Toomuchinformation resumed with a strong second in a Country Boosted Benchmark 58 Handicap over 1000m at Tuncurry on December 9.

Toomuchinformation, still carrying the big weight of 62.5kg even after apprentice jockey Shae Wilkes’s claim brought it down from 64.5kg, settled down nicely in fourth place and made a big challenge in the home straight.

But he couldn’t hold off In Spades, which was carrying 4kg less and In Spades went on to win by almost a length from Toomuchinformation, with Forbidden Gemstone third.

Toomuchinformation went into that race off the back of one barrier trial and eased in the betting from an opening quote of $5.50 to start at $10 with TAB.

That betting drift suggests there was an opinion around that Toomuchinformation wasn’t forward enough to produce its very best and that whatever he did at Tuncurry he was likely to improve on next start.

In a Benchmark 66 his weight comes down a bit and the increase in distance has to be a plus as well.

Toomuchinformation’s five career wins have come over 1250m, 1200m (twice), 1008m and 1000m. He likes the sting out of the ground as well, with three wins and three placings from 12 starts in soft going.

The Taree track, which was rated a Soft 5 on Thursday, typically has a nice cushion in it and Toomuchinformation has a very consistent record there.

He has raced five times at Taree for one win, two seconds and two thirds and is drawn perfectly in barrier two on Sunday.

Burges is also having a nice recent run of form, having produced two winners from his last four starters.

The trainer also has last-start Coffs Harbour winner Cantolago in the race, but as the first emergency she will need a scratching to get a start and would then have to come from a wide barrier having drawn gate 11 among the 13 that accepted.

*First race 2pm. Gates open 12.30pm. Full TAB and bookmaker facilities. The Turf Bistro inside the Winning Post Function Centre and inside and outside bars open.

Lions Club food van also available. General admission $10 and concession $5. See Manning Valley Race Club Facebook page for more details.

View the final fields with full form & race replays for Taree here