Former Kiwi The Irishman (NZ) (Tavistock) will have his first stakes tilt in Australia at Rosehill on Saturday when he contests the Gr.2 Phar Lap Stakes (1500m).
He won first-up over 1400m at Warwick Farm last week and pleased new trainer Mark Newnham with the way he handled things.
“He is a really nice horse,” Newnham told Racing HQ. “He did a good job to beat older and tougher opposition the other day.
“I was pleased with the way he raced and I was pleased with the way he handled himself at the races.
“He is still a colt and first-up you always worry how they will behave. He didn’t put a foot wrong. Tom (Sherry, jockey) gave him a really good ride and he was nice and genuine to the line.”
Newnham is pleased with the son of Tavistock ahead of Saturday but did share concerns about the short back-up.
“If I had any reservations tomorrow it might be that he has had 10 days and not an extra week to come through that (last start),” he said.
“The feed bin tells you he is ready to go and his work was very good on Tuesday.”
The Irishman was originally trained in New Zealand by Tony Pike, for whom he won on debut and placed in the Listed Uncle Remus Stakes (1400m) from his three starts in New Zealand.
He was purchased by Pike out of Cambridge Stud’s 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Sale draft for $170,000.
