Craig Kerry
Teenage jockey Jett Newman is keen to showcase her skills again on the main stage on Saturday as she prepares for a move to Sydney and a shot at emulating her father’s success in the apprentice premiership.
The 18-year-old, now with 113 winners in 17 months of race riding, is set to join the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable next week on a three-month loan from Murwillumbah-based leading country trainer Matt Dunn.
Newman heads to Randwick on Saturday for four rides, headlined by the Dunn-trained Highway Plate favourite Moon Sweeper. She later picked up rides on the Brett and Georgie Cavanough-trained Williamsburg and Honniball Drive, and Matt Smith’s Astero.
It will be Newman’s first taste of race riding at what will be her new home track and comes six months after she starred at Rosehill on her city debut with two wins from two rides, both for Dunn, with Considered and Band Of Brothers.
Newman said that memorable day will give her confidence for Saturday and beyond as she works towards carving out a full-time place in the elite Sydney ranks.
“The plan was always to come to Sydney eventually, and I think it’s worked out pretty well,” Newman said.
“Gai and Adrian are pretty set on just staying in the provincials until you ride out your claim, or get close, but I think this weekend will be good if I can hopefully get a winner or go well, and let everyone know that I’m down here.
“Hopefully, it’s on to bigger and better things. I’m only starting out on loan, but the plan is to stay.”
Newman said her team considered other opportunities in Sydney before going with Tulloch Lodge, where she rode trackwork once a week briefly when starting out.
She has about 40 winners left on her provincial claim, which sits at two kilograms. She hopes to quickly get through that and open the door to regular chances in town with three kilograms.
Braith Nock built off a mid-season assault to win the Sydney apprentice title in 2024-25. Siena Grima has drawn level with Nock this season on 30 wins after a similar charge, and Newman hopes to emulate their success next season.
“Obviously I’d like to get through my claim and get into town, so I can get a bit of a start on it, but hopefully I can kind of do the same thing,” Newman said. “That’s the goal.”
Her father, Mitch Newman, was Sydney’s champion apprentice in 1998-99 and 2000-01, and has guided her career. Jett is moving to Randwick with her mother, Debbie Greaves, who rides trackwork.
Moon Sweeper, $1.70 TAB favourite, looks a standout chance on the program after winning a 1500m class 3 Highway Plate last start on May 30 by three lengths. Newman’s claim drops the four-year-old’s weight to just 56kg for the 1600m edition on Saturday. A handy draw in five and two wins on heavy tracks only add to his claims. Randwick was a heavy 10 on Friday.
“He’s in good order,” Newman said. “It’s a little bit between runs, but he looks the one to beat.
“I don’t do his track work, but I talk to his rider and he’s been working well.”
Honniball Drive is $23 in the 1400m two-year-old race to start the day. The filly has placed in her three starts, all in the country, and carries only 51kg.
“It’s been running well, it gets the blinkers on and steps up in trip, and gets in well with the weights, so it definitely gets a chance,” Newman said.
Williamsburg ($14) runs in the seventh, an 1800m benchmark 88, after finishing fourth last start in the listed 1400m Civic Stakes.
“It’s definitely a little bit easier race, and it wasn’t too far off them last start,” she said.
“It hasn’t drawn too bad, so hopefully it gets a nice run, and the claim will definitely help, getting down to 59.5 kilos.”
Bourke on the road again
In her first week back in Sydney, apprentice Molly Bourke will go the extra mile again on Saturday in the hunt for winners.
Bourke came back to Randwick trainer John Sargent on Monday after more than three months in Melbourne on loan to Michael Kent snr.
She rode seven winners, including five in town, as she looked to revive her fortunes in a season where she has had 19 placings in NSW city races without a victory. Bourke had 24 last season to finish second in the apprentice premiership.
She has her first city ride back in NSW on Saturday at Randwick on the Michael Travers-trained Demi God ($51) in the Highway Plate. She then hits the road to Newcastle to ride Johnny Smash ($61) for Mike Van Gestel in the eighth.
“I ran third on Demi God once before at Randwick, the same distance too, so it looks a good set-up coming off the confidence of his good win last start at Albury,” Bourke said.
“He obviously handles the heavy, so hopefully that suits him. The barrier is a bit tricky, but hopefully he can get a good drag through.
“Mick’s idea is to have him a bit closer, especially at the mile. We should be able to land a bit closer and have him in striking distance.”
The 23-year-old was glad to be back in Sydney but grateful for her time in Victoria.
“It’s a quick turnaround and I don’t want to lose that momentum I’ve built up,” she said.
“I’ve had a great experience in Melbourne. I needed to do it. I got seven winners, outrode my two-kilo claim and got a bit of momentum back.
“I achieved what I wanted to out of it, I got some opportunities and support, met some new people and hopefully, I can bring that back to Sydney.
“I’m a senior in November and I’ve got a lot more connections in the bush here, so if I need that option, to drop back, I can here.”
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