Godolphin award a career boost for new trainer
Author Mike Hedge, date 2nd August 2016
Mark Newnham is the inaugural winner of the ‘Thoroughbred Excellence Award’ at the Godolphin Australian Stud and Stable Awards.
A former jockey whose involvement in racing spans more than 20 years, Mark also won the ‘Dedication To Racing’ section of the Awards for which he was nominated by Gai Waterhouse, to whom he was assistant trainer.
Mark became a trainer in his own right after winning his award in 2015 and credits it with giving him a platform from which to launch his new career. He says the Awards, which are overseen by Thoroughbred Breeders Australia and Racing Australia, offer respect and acknowledgement to the thousands of behind-the-scenes stud and stable employees who keep the industry running.
“There’s a lot that goes into every horse winning any race. We always hear about the best horses winning the best races and you sometimes hear about the people behind the scenes when it comes to those horses,” Newnham says.
“But just as much effort goes into a horse who wins a maiden, and the time and effort that goes into those horses comes from people who mostly go unnoticed by the wider racing community. They are largely unheard and unseen. It’s the day-to-day dedication of the stable staff that generates results the whole year round.”