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Newlands’ totally unexpected last-start fourth place in Dubai has given trainer Stephen Gray and owner Paul Hickman the wings and ultimately the nerve to take another gamble this Saturday.
After two unplaced runs, the Singapore-based stayer turned his form around dramatically when he just missed a podium finish by a neck for young English jockey Tom Marquand in the Al Naboodah Trade School Trophy over 2000m last Thursday.
While delighted with the run, Gray was facing a happy headache he had not seen coming: To race or not to race again?
The US$250,000 Group 2 Dubai City Of Gold (2410m) nine days later on Super Saturday was the last chance saloon.
One factor which Gray had to weigh up with great care was that the Mugharreb six-year-old had already been on the quick back-up. One week earlier before his fourth place to Godolphin’s Kidmenever, he blew the start and took no part in the race.
But Gray was happy with the feedback from his assistant-trainer Mike Shaw and senior track rider Andy Ismail after the Al Naboodah. He spoke with Hickman, and they both nodded with a sparkle in their eyes.
“After his last run, he pulled up very well and we thought it was worth backing him up and have another crack,” said Gray.
“In Australia, horses do that in the days of the Mackinnon Stakes leading up to the Melbourne Cup. Stayers can cop those short gaps between runs.
“Newlands will finally get a chance to go over more ground. It’s a good field with three Group 1 winners, but he’s thrived and he’s worked really well since, so we’ve rolled the dice again.
“I spoke with Gary Crispe (CEO of Racing And Sports and Timeform guru) and he said his sectionals at his last race are good enough for him to win the Singapore Gold Cup.
“Racing is a sport at the end of the day. We may not be in the same league as Godolphin and the other sheikhs’ horses there, but we are enthusiastic about our racing and Paul Hickman (owner) also races with passion.
“On paper, he can’t win, but in rugby, Ireland beat the All Blacks and Japan beat South Africa. You don’t know until you have a go.
“Whether he can measure up against better horses than him, I don’t know, but if for some reason, they don’t turn up, we may get lucky, you never know.
“We’ll just let him run at the distance and have a good go.”
Emirates-based English jockey Richard Mullen, who rode the well-beaten Bahana, Gray’s second Dubai raider, in the Al Naboodah Trade School Trophy, is the one taking the reins on Newlands this Saturday.
“Tom was suspended and I had to look for another jockey. There were a few options, but we went for Richard in the end,” said Gray.
“He may not be the best around in Europe, but he’s No 1 in Dubai.”
Gray flew to Dubai to watch Newlands and Bahana race at their disappointing Dubai debuts on February 8, but had since given the last two outings (February 22 and March 1) a miss. He was about to skip Super Saturday as well, but was in the end swayed by Mrs Gray.
“I was not planning to go, but Bridget told me it was Newlands’ last run and it’s a big night there,” said the Kiwi handler.
“Paul can’t make it, but both Bridget and I are going. We fly out on Saturday morning and reach Dubai around noon, which gives us enough time to head for the race which is at 7.30pm there.
“Then we fly back the same night to be back in Singapore in time for the Sunday races. It all works out well.”
As for the future plans of his two travellers, Gray has pencilled in the Group 1 Dester Singapore Gold Cup (2000m) as their ultimate goal down the road, but via two different routes.
“Whatever the result tomorrow, it’s not going to hurt Newlands. He will come back a fitter horse for the Gold Cup in November,” he said.
“I will, however, send him to England after Dubai. There are some handicap races we will look at, and he may even go to Australia before coming back for the Gold Cup, we’ll see.
“For Bahana, it was a different situation. It was a change of scenery, and he will come back a fresher horse.
“He was not 100% ready, we looked after him. He is a healthy horse, and he will come back mentally and physically better from the trip, and then we will set him for the Gold Cup, too.”