News

Newman's Set To Sweep Into Tulloch Lodge

By Ray Hickson

When trainer Matthew Dunn sent his apprentice Jett Newman to Sydney back in January she stole the show, when she lands at Randwick on Saturday it’ll signal the start of a new chapter as the 18-year-old prepares to join Tulloch Lodge.

Newman rode a double for Dunn at Rosehill earlier this year and he’s hoping Moon Sweeper can give her the perfect send off in the TAB Highway (1600m) before she links up with Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott for a three month loan.

While her four rides this weekend will be her first at Randwick, she's no stranger to headquarters.

A few years ago when Newman started out as an apprentice, prior to heading to Dunn, she was based at Hawkesbury with Claire and Chad Lever and they organised for her to ride trackwork once a week for the Waterhouse/Bott stable.

With 113 winners behind her, Dunn feels the time is right for Newman to join what is already a strong contingent of apprentices in Sydney.

“She’s where she needs to be now, she needs to go to a new level,’’ Dunn said.

“She’s riding lots of winners at the Gold Coast and the provincials in Queensland and we’ve purposely held her back from riding too much in the city to hold her claim for when she gets down there.

Jett Newman after winning on Band Of Brothers for Matt Dunn at Rosehill in January (Pic: Bradley Photos).

“It was always in the plan for her to go down and we were trying to work out the right place, the right stable for her to go to.

“I spoke to Adrian a few weeks ago and I think it’s the right place for her and she’ll hold her own for sure. She’s ready to go now and she’ll do a good job.”

Moon Sweeper hasn’t been seen since he scored a runaway Highway win at Rosehill back on May 30 but Dunn said he won’t be beaten on Saturday on the score of fitness.

He's one of four rides the teenager has secured for her first meeting at headquarters.

The four-year-old revelled in heavy conditions on that occasion and the Murwillumbah trainer said he’s more than happy to be striking another wet track given how well suited the grey is under the Highway's conditions.

“He’s drawn the right gate and gets the right run, and if it happened to rain more it’d be even better,’’ he said.

“When he came back he went out to the water treadmill for a week, which is what I pretty much do with most horses that go to Sydney and come back.

“It gives them a chance to regroup and get over the travel.

“He’s up to the mark fitness wise, he’s done the work, and his last few gallops have been really strong. He’s had a jump out at home in that time to keep him up to the mark.

“It’s hard to place him in Highways, we had to hold for a Plate because in handicaps he has too much weight so he’s well placed.”

Dunn has long championed Newman, the daughter of former jockey and trainer Mitch Newman who was twice Sydney’s champion apprentice, as a young rider who will make the grade and he said he hasn’t changed that opinion one bit.

And you can be sure if Moon Sweeper looms he’ll be leading the cheering.

“It’d be great to see her win on him,’’ he said.

“We needed the claim, he’s well in with 56kg, but we tried to time it as well as we could. If she could win on him two days before she turns up at Randwick it will help her along.”

Meanwhile, Dunn could have two runners in next Wednesday’s Listed Ramornie Handicap (1200m) at Grafton with Boom Torque locked in and Band Of Brothers being considered to also tacklethe carnival’s feature sprint.