Mark Newnham sprinter Splintex deserves change of luck in The Galaxy
Mark Newnham will press on with Splintex’s bid to win his first Group 1 in The Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill on Saturday, but he’s not in a good mood.
Apart from the Golden Slipper, all the barrier draws for Saturday’s bumper meeting were conducted again after more entries were allowed when the meeting was cancelled last weekend due to the wet weather.
“Last week I was in the race with a good barrier (5) and this week I’m in it with an outside barrier (14) so my chances are greatly diminished,” Newnham said.
“I don’t know why they just didn’t move the whole meeting. Everyone who wanted to run could’ve run last week if they wanted to enter.
“The Galaxy had one extra runner, so I don’t know why the rest of us are disadvantaged because someone else wanted to come run in the race.”
Splintex is by Snitzel and is an entire so if he wins The Galaxy he could be worth $5 million as a stud prospect.
“It’s taken me 12 months to get into the race because he missed out last year, then won the Arrowfield (Group 2). And that was fine because his rating wasn’t high enough,” Newnham said.
“I haven’t received a satisfactory answer as to why we have been disadvantaged and I’m not expecting one.”
The conditions on Saturday will help the four-year-old but jockey Robbie Dolan will need to produce a peach of a ride to get Splintex over the line in first.
Mark Newnham has been left disappointed by the barrier redraw for The Galaxy. Photo: Mark Evans/Getty Images)Source:Getty Images
He’s rated a $26 hope behind $4.80 favourite Haut Brion Her who has gate seven.
“The wet track will help. He’s won his only two starts on heavy tracks and both starts at 1100m at Rosehill. Inside barriers there are dynamite,” Newnham said.
“I’ve always thought he was a good horse but he’s been slow maturing. He’s taken a while to adjust but is a better horse now than he was last year.”
Every Rose has drawn well enough for Newnham in barrier eight for the Group 3 Birthday Card Stakes (1200m) after not running out the 1400m of the Group 1 Surround Stakes.
She did win the Group 2 Light Fingers Stakes (1200m) first-up.
“I rode her on Wednesday morning and she’s well in that race. She likes soft ground and is back to 1200m,” Newnham said.
“She’s been in good form all preparation so I’d expect her to be very hard to beat. It’s a nice race.”
Lord Olympus hasn’t been on a heavy track yet but has won on a soft surface which he might get in the Darby Munro Stakes on Saturday.
“He’s an underrated horse who has never run poorly,” Newnham said.
The Randwick trainer will only run Skymax, in the Manion Cup, if the track dries out.
Originally published asSplintex out of luck with The Galaxy barrier draw
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