Mark Newnham has had some good times at Kembla Grange, winning three jockeys premierships there, and it seems logical that his first winner as a trainer would come at the South Coast track, reports Racing NSW.
The former jockey took out his trainer's licence earlier in the year and hasn’t been able to land a winner yet with seven placings from 15 starters. It is not a bad return for a stable of only dozen horses finding its way.
Newnham, who worked for Gai Waterhouse for a couple of decades, appreciates the long stretches of Kembla and will use it for the debut of Righteous Mate in the Gerroa Maiden Plate on Tuesday, while handy type Postmaster General will be scratched and saved for Newcastle on Saturday, where prizemoney goes to $30,000.
Righteous Mate has had two barrier trials to ready him for his debut but Newnham has opted to put the blinkers on.
“He is big, raw and dumb, so it is the right place for him to start his career to get a good experience on debut,” Newnham said. “He is only going to get better but it’s a tough race.
“I rode a lot of good horses for Gai in their first start at Kembla – Bentley Biscuit, Carnegie Express and Rock Kingdom to name a few – and it helps them.
“The big track allows them to do a few things wrong and still have a good experience. This bloke is going to be a nice horse over a staying trip and the long stretches will be good for a big striding type like him.
”I have put the blinkers on him to sharpen him up a bit, which helps the Zabeel [breed], and I think he will run a good race and be hitting the line.”
Like many Kembla maidens, the opener on Tuesday’s program might have pointers for better races, possibly in Melbourne later in the spring.
Godolphin has favourite Drachenfels, which remains in the Caulfield Guineas, while the James Cummings-trained Savvan holds a VRC Oaks entry, and Pirpala has been placed at his two starts.