Mark Newnham has been one of the big movers in Sydney’s training ranks for the past few seasons and he is set to round out the current term with a career-best finish on the premiership table.
After taking out his licence five years ago, the former right-hand man to Gai Waterhouse has continued to make significant inroads, vaulting from ninth place with 28 city winners last season to be sitting fourth with 44 metropolitan victories after Saturday’s Randwick meeting.
With a winning strikerate of more than 18 per cent, Newnham is happy with the stable’s progress but he is even keener to continue building on their solid foundations.
“The most pleasing part for me is we’ve had about the same number of horses in work, but we’ve won more races,” Newnham said.
“We’re running fourth currently in the Sydney premiership, which with the amount of horses we’ve got – 70 in work all the time – someone like myself is never going to finish in front of Chris (Waller) or James (Cummings). Anywhere in that top half-dozen is more than a pass mark.
“We have been consistent, between 18 and 20 per cent (strikerate) all year and we’ve had more stakes winners and we’ve had a lot more city winners.”
Newnham has achieved the feat despite losing stable flagbearer Shadow Hero to Hong Kong, although that horse has since returned and will be prepared for a spring campaign.
He is also hoping to unearth another star among his younger brigade of horses, which include his rising two and three-year-olds and the likes of Randwick Guineas and Vinery Stud Stakes placegetter Harmony Rose.
“Like everyone else, I’m still trying to unearth that next very good horse,” Newnham said.
“Even though we’ve got Shadow Hero back we’re looking for something to come out of the rest of them that is going to be a Group One horse.”
Chris Waller had a rare winless afternoon at Randwick but with 154 city victories in the bag so far, he will claim his eleventh successive Sydney trainers’ title when the season ends on July 31.
Article from JustHorseRacing.com.au