Garbhan looms as Tulloch Stakes threat for Mitch Newman and Sona

                 Garbhan will be aiming to make an impact in Saturday’s Tulloch Stakes. Picture: Bradley Photography

MITCH Newman is quietly confident that his emerging stayer, Garbhan, can make an impact in Saturday’s Group 2 Tulloch Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill Gardens.

Owned by Sona Bloodstock, Garbhan comes into the event on the back of a last-start win in a BM 65 (2000m) at Hawkesbury on March 13.

It was a gritty performance from the three-year-old gelding, stepping up sharply in distance on its previous run – an 11th in the Listed Canberra Guineas over 1400m.

Newman said he was pleased with the effort, but not shocked to see Garbhan show his best.

“It wasn’t a surprise for me to see him win so well last start, although he didn’t have the best of runs,” Newman told Horse Betting.

“At the 800m mark I was a bit worried – he had been three deep with no cover – he started coming off the bridle, but then he started to chime in.

“It was very satisfying to see him overcome those issues during the run and still get the win.”

Newman says he has always seen the son of Casino Prince and Skibo Castle as a stayer, with no hesitation stepping him up in trip so drastically last start.

“I wasn’t concerned by his run at Canberra – some people thought the run was disappointing, but he went into it trained up for the mile and in hindsight I think he might have even wanted the 2000m that day.

“Based on that it was never a concern in my eyes to step him straight up from the 1400m to the 2000m.

“I always thought he might have been our little Derby horse – out of the three nice colts I had for Kevin Pitstock and Sona Bloodstock he was the one which looked like the stayer.

“His action and his track work just pointed to him being a nice stayer – probably more so the Queensland Derby due to timing, but if things were to change in regards to his performance this Saturday, he could be lining up in the Australian Derby.”

Newman, who was a successful jockey before getting his trainer’s licence six years ago, believes Garbhan can handle the rise in class this week.

“It is a big step up in class – but I think we have the right horse to do it with, so I am not concerned about it,” he said.

“The only concern at this stage is the wet track – I am not totally convinced he can’t handle the wet, but at his only start on a bottomless track he didn’t go that good.

“His only start on the heavy track was probably over an unsuitable distance too, so I don’t want to totally write him off and sometimes they do get better on those tracks the more they race on them.

“He will probably be big odds and even though I would be more confident on a dry track I am still going to go there with some confidence that I have got a nice horse and the right horse for the race.”

Garbhan’s claims in the event have only been strengthened for Saturday, with champion jockey Hugh Bowman booked to take the ride.

“Hugh is a good mate of mine and we were apprentice jockeys together.

“He is really hard to get these days because he is such a good rider – he is highly sought after by a lot of the leading trainers.

“It was good to be able to secure his services – he has only had one ride for me for one win so fingers crossed we can maintain that 100 per cent winning strike rate this weekend.”

Newman says success in the $200,000 feature would be a massive boost for his training career as he prepares to saddle up his first runner at group level.

“A win would be amazing – this horse has come along at the perfect time in my training career.

“I’ve only been doing this for five or six years and I have had a city winner already – but to have another nice horse come along I feel that it is the right time and I am hopeful I can take him all the way to the top.”

The Group 2 Tulloch Stakes is race five at Rosehill Gardens this Saturday and is scheduled to jump at 2.50pm.

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