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By Brad Gray

Speaking to trainer Mark Newnham, there aren’t too many boxes that his five-year-old Careless doesn’t tick going into his Saturday assignment at Rosehill.

“We’re really happy with him. The race didn’t pan out well for him the other day when he got taken on in front but here he is third-up and the prospect of a wet track won’t bother him,” said Newnham. “He has a good barrier and has raced well for Christian Reith before. He is as well as we can have him.”

Careless running second last start

“Each prep I’ve given him he has taken a run to come up to his best but then he has held his form and this time was no different. He needed the run first-up and ran terrific last start. I’d be disappointed if he doesn’t run top three.

“I’d say Moher will cart them along at a good clip and we should be in the first three or four. He is adaptable so I’m happy to leave it up to Christian as to where he ends up.”

The Godolphin castoff has been a very astute purchase for Newnham, who divides his time betwene his Warwick Farm and Randwick stables, paying $50,000 for him at the 2016 Magic Millions draft.

“When we got him he had a barrier ban on him. The first couple of months we just concentrated on getting his confidence back and coming into a smaller stable we had plenty of time to put into him,” Newnham said.

“I don’t gallop him a lot he just does a lot of steady work and swimming. He already knows how to gallop, I’ve just got to present him at the races in a good frame of mind.”

Meanwhile, Newnham also expects two-year-old Pierro colt Ipso Facto to be fighting out the finish in the John Miller Hall Of Fame Handicap (1200m), and suggested he could turn the tables on Viridine.

“He didn’t have much luck the other day. He just didn’t quite have the gate speed to cross them and he was left three deep but was still strong all the way to the line and was only beaten three quarters of a length.”

Ipso Facto fighting out the finish at at Rosehill last start

“(Viridine) had a soft run where as we had a tough run so I wouldn’t think there’d be much between them again. With the benefit of the run under his belt and up to 1200m it should suit him.”

Expect to see plenty of Pierros running around for Newnham next season with five yearlings currently on his books.

“It may be because I had an association with the horse people were looking to give me one to train but I also bought a nice one. I’ve stocked upon Pierros. I believe in the horse and I’d say in a year or twos time they might be harder to buy. He is going to make it as a stallion.”

“Golden Slipper winners rarely fail at stud and he was a horse of really high quality that trained on as well. He wasn’t just a two-year-old and he probably still had improvement in him when he retired at three.”

Anisha rounds out Newnham’s Rosehill team taking her place in an even field of mares in the Light Fingers Hall Of Fame Handicap (1400m).

“She ran really well last start but hung in quite badly. She has the blinkers back on which seems to have helped her in her work. She has drawn wide but she is a get back mare. She’ll be hitting the line strongly and if we get any rain, that wouldn’t hurt her chances either.”

Check out the fields for Rosehill on Saturday