Smart mare A Very Fine Red will go back to where it all began when she heads to Hawkesbury to chase another stakes win in the Listed Hawkesbury Gold Rush.
The four-year-old kicked off her career with a victory at the track just over two years ago and has since gone on to win the Alinghi Stakes at Caulfield and notch another four black-type placings.
Her Listed win came second-up in the spring and trainer Mark Newnham has adhered to the same formula this preparation in the hope it will yield the same result.
“She went terrific first-up, she’s a winner second-up when she won an 1100-metre Listed race and that is pretty much her sweet spot,” Newnham said.
“She won at Hawkesbury her first start in a race, and she will probably go up to Brisbane after that for the Bright Shadow (Stakes).
“She’s fairly uncomplicated and a very easy horse to train. You don’t have to do much differently – feed her, work her, that’s it.”
A Very Fine Red was doing her best work late when third to Kallos in the Listed Bob Hoysted Stakes (1000m) at Flemington last month.
She is no stranger to travelling between states and Newnham says she has arrived back in Sydney in great order.
Her three wins have all been over 1100-metres, two of those second-up.
Newnham is gradually winding down his Randwick operation ahead of his impending move to Hong Kong where he has been granted a trainers’ license from next season.
But his immediate focus is on his Sydney team and Newnham does have some unfinished business.
He was sitting on 397 wins going into Wednesday’s Warwick Farm meeting and hopeful of adding at least three more to that tally to end his Australian training career in the 400s.
“I’ve got to go over there in a couple of weeks just for a week but I’m making sure I’m giving these ones my full attention so they’re not disadvantaged, then I’ll worry about Hong Kong when it’s Hong Kong time,” he said.
