Blazing Trial Has Newnham Upbeat About Miss

Take what you like out of trials but trainer Mark Newnham has been buoyed by what Blazing Miss produced in the lead up to her first-up assignment at Randwick on Saturday.

The ever improving four-year-old will have another shot at a stakes win after the Antler Luggage Handicap (1000m), a race Newnham said she’s been totally underestimated in by the market.

Blazing Miss was an $11 chance with TAB on Thursday despite having an 86 rating in a 78 rated race, Tom Sherry’s 3kg claim to offset 62kg, a slick first-up record and a stunning barrier trial win.

What also has Newnham so up and about when it comes to Blazing Miss is the fact she was able to glide past Gary Portelli’s speedster Spaceboy to win an 807m hitout a couple of weeks ago.

“Any time you are beating Spaceboy in a trial you are going really well,’’ he said.

“She’s a good mare and she’s improved every prep. She got through to winning a couple of Saturday class races and she’s coming up well.

“Even though she’s only had one trial she’s had enough work to be effective over 1000m.

“She’s adaptable enough, she can race right on pace or sit off them and it won’t worry her carrying a bit of weight.”

Blazing Miss followed an unlucky first-up fourth in April with back-to-back Randwick wins in May and Newnham has pencilled in the Group 3 $200,000 Nivison (1200m) on October 24 as her spring target.

He’s always maintained the mare would continue to blossom as she matured and there’s evidence to suggest this will be her best season on the tack.

“The good thing about Sydney racing and the level of prizemoney is that you can keep climbing the ladder as you’re looking towards stakes races,’’ he said.

“She’s always been very big so it’s taken a while for her to grow into herself. She always had ability but needed to get a bit of strength.”

A rousing trial is also key to Quintessa’s chances in the Tresemme Handicap (2000m) after she was forced to miss a planned run when balloted out of a race a couple of weeks ago.

The ATC Oaks placegetter shrugged off her maiden status first-up then went down fighting to Badoosh over 1800m on September 12.

“She’s been going really well all prep, her coat has come right now,’’ Newnham said.

“She came in quite wintry and even when she won at Gosford she was very wintry in the coat.

“She’s clean winded but the stats tell you once they go that month between runs unless they’ve had a trial or no interruptions they generally don’t win.

“That’s why I got her into that trial at Hawkesbury and she had a good blow out, she performed really well so I’m happy with her going into it.”

Expect front-running grey Greysful Glamour to resume her front-running role in the Group 3 $160,000 Bentley Angst Stakes (1600m) after a forgettable trip to Melbourne last month.

The five-year-old, $13 with TAB, was never comfortable at Moonee Valley, where she beat one home in the Stocks Stakes when ridden conservatively and her cause wasn’t helped by rain through the night.

“When you have a natural leader and they go slow you would expect they’d lead,’’ he said.

“We’ll ride her to her normal pattern, that is to lead, and she gets back on good ground which is helpful. I’d expect back in mares grade and finding the front she will run well.”