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By Ray Hickson

If trainer Mark Newnham’s assessment of talented sprinter Big Parade is correct then expect to see him tackling a number of lucrative feature sprints this spring.

Trainer Mark Newnham.

The five-year-old, a winner of five of his 11 starts, kicks off in the Ranvet Handicap (1200m) at Kembla Grange on Saturday and Newnham is expecting him to be a major player.

Newnham has named the Group 3 $500,000 Sydney Stakes (1200m) on the TAB Everest undercard and the $1 million The Hunter (1300m) at Newcastle as potential targets later in the year.

“He’s ready to take the next step,’’ he said.

“He’s a nice mature horse that hasn’t had a lot of racing and there’s plenty of races on offer with plenty of prizemoney. They are the sort of races you’d like to be able to get to and you don’t have to leave your back yard.”

Newnham has seen a difference in Big Parade, $2.90 with TAB on Thursday, this time around and it doesn’t surprise him given how busy the horse was in a preparation that stretched six months and included the horse being gelded but still saw him wrap up with a win.

That was over subsequent stakes winner Lillemor.

He was beaten as a $1.90 favourite at Kembla back on The Gong program in November but that was his first start as a gelding, and Newnham notes he did lighten off after being gelded, he drew wide and overdid it up front.

Now around 20kg heavier, and with two solid barrier trial wins under his belt, Newnham feels he can have higher expectations.

“This time he’s been straightforward from the start,’’ he said.

“It’s been trouble free which is what we like, his work has been consistent and his trials have been very good. It looks a nice race to start him off in.

“It is a good race but I’d be very disappointed if he’s not right in the finish. He’s come back a better horse, he’s drawn one on what looks to be firm ground.

“With his racing style, being able to show gate speed, he’ll either control the race from the front or sit off a leader.”

Stayer Skymax returns for his second preparation with Newnham in the Drinkwise Premier’s Cup Prelude (2000m) having won two of his six starts, both at 2400m, through summer.

Newnham said the six-year-old could well be a little sharper this time around but is more interested to see how he performs than expecting a particular result.

“In nearly all cases their form improves at their second preparation and I’d say he would be no different,’’ he said.

Big Parade wins a trial at Randwick on July 27

“We learned a fair bit about him last preparation. He’s a good stayer but he needs firm ground and he’ll resume with that on Saturday.

“The 2000m in the past has been a bit sharp for him but he’s had a full prep with me this time, not coming off an English prep, and I would say that’s got him a bit sharper.”

Skymax, $16 with TAB, also appeared at The Gong meeting last year, it was his local debut and he didn’t wear blinkers. They’re on this time and Newnham said they make a difference.

“Even though the distance is going to be short of his best I expect that he will run a good race,’’ he said.

“They tend to go quick to the first corner so I wouldn’t imagine he’ll have enough gate speed to control the race but it might be an opportunity to ride him with cover and see if he’s sharper in the run home.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Kembla Grange meeting