More 2YO joy for Newnham

By Bren O'Brien

Trainer Mark Newnham has continued his excellent run with his late season 2-year-olds, claiming his sixth juvenile winner since the start of June with Exceed The Stars (Star Witness) victorious over 1200m at Canterbury on Wednesday.

There was a degree of fortune in Exceed The Stars breaking his maiden at start number five, with the second horse, the well-fancied Mandela (Sebring), running off over the final 100m and costing himself victory.

But it was reward for persistence for Newnham, who elected to geld Exceed The Stars after a lack of focus cost him dearly earlier in his 2-year-old year.

"He's always had above-average ability and the difference today is that he's doing everything right now and that used to be us making mistakes," Newnham said.

"As a gelding he has come back with two runs and is starting to show his true potential. As a colt, he was running his races in patches. But today, he jumped well, he settled well, he gave a good kick and he ran hard and straight."

Newnham will look to a Saturday race for Exceed The Stars.

"He's getting through affected ground now and that's what we look like we are stuck with the next few weeks. It was just good to see him fulfil all that early potential he showed in the trials," he said.

He was a $220,000 buy out of the 2018 Gold Coast Magic Millions Sale for Darby Racing and De Burgh Equine. His dam Exceed And Excite (Exceed and Excel) is a half-sister to Group 1 winner Choice Bro (Choisir).

"The boys have put their hands in their pocket to buy a nice colt and we just had to make him a gelding to turn him into a racehorse," Newnham said.

Newnham is developing quite a reputation with his young horses, with this success his second by a 2-year-old in as many days after Larson (Better Than Ready) won at Gosford on Tuesday. That comes off the back of four of his 2-year-olds recording victories in the month of June.

In-form jockey Blake Shinn was to the fore, riding both 2-year-old winners on the day and he was very pleased to have got the win on Exceed The Stars, having ridden him his past two starts.

"He's done things wrong in the past as the second horse did today. Mark did the right thing and gelded him after I rode him the first time, when he attempted to buck. The owners did the right thing and listened to Mark." he said.

"He kicked strong at the turn today. He had a soft run, and I knew where the second horse would be and he moved up nice, but when I saw him move up the track, I thought that's our opportunity."

There certainly looks a win in store for Mandela, who is trained by Peter and Paul Snowden and races in the colours of China Horse Club, who are one of a slew of major players involved in the colt.

Fun for all with filly's win

Shinn backed up that success in the 1250m 2YO fillies race later on the program, securing somewhat of an upset on Havin' Fun (All Too Hard).

The filly is trained by John Sargent for Ramsey Pastoral and took significant improvement off her debut run at Warwick Farm last month to nab the Godolphin filly Special Snap (Shooting To Win) on the line, with the favourite Starla (Snitzel) in third.

"I love the way she went first up, she had a really nice experience and hit the line well," Shinn said. "Obviously, she's come along well, she had a lovely run throughout, the way that she hit the line showed she is a filly on the way up."

Shinn recalls riding her dam, the multiple stakes winner Our Quivira (Spinning World {USA}), who was also raced by Stuart Ramsey, to one of her first victories for Peter Moody when he was an apprentice.

Sargent was delighted to have trained a winner for Ramsey as well.

"A win on a Wednesday for a filly like this as a 2-year-old is worth a lot of money for them," he said.

"She’ll probably have another run or two and then have a break while she is up at this time of year. It's a good opportunity for her to get another win or two."

Our Quivira has already produced the stakes-winning pair Glenall (Redoute's Choice) and Panipique (Testa Rossa).