With Careless’s barrier manners improved and his confidence restored, trainer Mark Newnham is confident the former Godolphin horse can maintain his consistent form at Randwick.
Since leaving his job as Gai Waterhouse’s foreman and establishing his own operation at Warwick Farm last year, Newnham has trained six winners and 21 placegetters from 43 starts.
Careless has the chance to give him his first Saturday metropolitan winner in a benchmark handicap over 1400m this weekend.
The five-year-old gelding was one of a handful of experienced horses Newnham bought to represent his stable in Sydney racing while his younger horses developed.
Barrier issues and patchy form led Godolphin to discard Careless who boasted a Listed placing as a three-year-old and a creditable fifth in the 2014 Group One J J Atkins at two.
Newnham gave the horse one-on-one attention in a bid to overcome his problems in the starting gates.
“I spent a lot of time with him whereas in a big stable like Godolphin he was on the cut list,” Newnham said.
“They’ve got to filter their horses through whereas I’ve got to make time for those sort of horses.”
After running last when on debut for the stable at Rosehill over 1100m in November, Careless finished a close second over 1400m at Randwick on December 17 and was placed at Rosehill over 1350m on Christmas Eve.
Newnham said his past two starts have proved the horse’s confidence has returned.
“We didn’t reinvent the wheel,” Newnham said.
“A little bit of common sense, a little bit of horse sense and plenty of time and patience.”
Godolphin jockey James Doyle has been booked to ride Careless as he looks to extend his tally of eight winners since arriving in Australia from England in early December.
Newnham will also have a runner in Australia’s richest maiden during Saturday’s Magic Millions raceday, with Omiya set to join his trainer on the Gold Coast on Tuesday or Wednesday.
“I’ve got him fit enough to go first-up because there’s only once a year you strike a $250,000 maiden,” Newnham said.
“We’ve got to come here pretty primed.”
Kerrin McEvoy will ride Omiya and was aboard the horse for his final piece of trackwork at Warwick Farm on Monday.
“We’re just hoping for a good barrier draw and he’ll be in the race,” Newnham said.
