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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Mark Newnham has left nothing to chance in ensuring rising sprinter Big Parade is a major player in Saturday’s Group 1 $700,000 Furphy Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill.

Trainer Mark Newnham.

It’s a race that could set up the gelding for much bigger things in 2022.

Connections of the Sydney Stakes winner from the spring knocked back a TAB Everest slot offer in favour of the ‘consolation’ race, run 40 minutes before the Everest, that has proven to be a springboard into the nation’s richest race the following year.

“He was on the cusp of it last year and we were offered a last minute spot but it wasn’t something we were keen to do,’’ Newnham said.

“The Galaxy was top of my radar since last preparation and I put plenty of thought into how I’d approach it.”

Newnham has guided Big Parade through the classes over the past 18 months and his only real failure came at the 2020 The Gong meeting where he ran himself into the ground first-up.

It’s his fresh performance from last preparation that Newnham would like to replicate in The Galaxy though he realises the five-year-old will need to be versatile enough to be effective if he can’t find the lead.

“Based on his first-up performance last time in where he ran a track record at Kembla I thought it would be a good opportunity to run him first-up in the Galaxy,’’ he said.

“I’ve put the blinkers back on him thinking in an 1100m Group 1 high pressure race at Rosehill you need to be able to take up a good spot.

“It's not a race where he’d be over racing because it’ll be a very quick run race.

“He showed in a couple of runs towards the end of his prep that he could take a sit. When he won the Sydney Stakes he lost concentration coming to the corner and Josh had to give him a reminder.

“He won’t be able to do that on Saturday and be a winning chance so that’s why the blinkers went on him.”

In a typically wide market, Big Parade was $11 with TAB on Friday in what will be his first start since running fourth behind Eduardo in the Classique Legend Stakes (1300m) on October 30.

Newnham has given him an official trial and he worked in blinkers between races at Canterbury recently. If he can continue his upward spiral in The Galaxy, then the Group 1 $2.5m TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) is his likely next target.

“He’s always had plenty of natural talent and it was more about harnessing his speed and giving him confidence in using it,’’ he said.

“He’s very consistent in everything he does, his work, his weight, the way he eats. That’s reflected in his performances. Last preparation he was pretty much faultless.”

Of course Newnham is represented in the $5m Longines Golden Slipper (1200m) with Reisling Stakes winner Seven Veils though the filly has been faced with a barrier one from the outside of the 16 horse field.

He said she was a relative latecomer due to pulling up shin sore after her second trial but has made up for lost time quickly and earned her spot in the race.

“In years gone by it was always the pre-Christmas two-year-old that had a huge advantage over the horses that started off in January and February,’’ he said.

Sydney Stakes winner Big Parade strides around Canterbury between races on Thursday under @JoshuaParr8. The @mark_mnracing gelding galloped 800m in 48.52 (last 600m 35.33). @tabcomau pic.twitter.com/pOZorLD1as

— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) March 10, 2022

“But I’d say now trainers are adopting a more conservative approach.

“She beat two really good fillies the other day and the form out of her maiden race has been really good.

“She can only beat them and she beat them well, they ran faster time than the colts, she’s there with a realistic chance.”

Seven Veils, $23 with TAB, is out to emulate Estijaab (2018) who was the last Reisling winner to claim the Slipper.

All the entries, form and replays for Saturday's Golden Slipper Day at Rosehill