Former Mark Newnham foreman, James Ponsonby, landed his first winner as a trainer and immediately indicated he wanted to expand.
He saddled OBELOS (New Approach-Daharma), who is part-owned by a family member, and the English-bred import looked particularly strong late in winning a Class 1 over 1400m at Albury looking a very likely type for the future.
It was just the 5th time Ponsonby as a trainer in his own right, had saddled a horse for the races.
“I’m pretty excited because that’s my first winner and hopefully if anyone has a horse and they want it to win, then send it my way because I will travel anywhere, as you can see today, to land the cash.”
Ponsonby, who has been training out of his new Goulburn barn for just five weeks now, currently has eight in work.
“They are all second-hand horses but I want to grow my stable and I have room for more.”
Earlier in the day he sent CAVEMAN (Rothesay-Intelligente) around in a maiden at $14.
Winona Costin rode it, and she rode this Obelos too. Caveman came from a mile back, finished hard, failed to catch the winner by a head…yet was 4th.
That tremendous 4-way finish got Ponsonby’s heart racing and he was like a Cheshire cat when interviewed after this his first winner.
Obelos recorded just his 2nd win in a race at his 17th start.
Oddly, his first win was at Longchamps in France. He’s had Chris Waller then Mark deMontfort as his trainers, but young Ponsonby is the only one to get him home a winner.
Ponsonby is only young but having worked with Newnham, who trains very similarly to Gai Waterhouse who he was foreman with for many years, he does look to have a very bright future.
