Sydney trainer targets Grafton feature sprint with Blazing Miss

A maiden stakes grade win has trainer Mark Newnham eyeing off Wednesday’s Ramornie Handicap with classy mare Blazing Miss.

Classy mare Blazing Miss is ready as ever to end a run of near misses as the Mark Newnham-trained galloper eyes a breakthrough stakes win in Wednesday’s Listed Ramornie Handicap at Grafton.

The daughter of Sizzling was one of two Newnham horses among the 41 nominations for the $200,000 feature but the Sydney horseman has only decided to accept with Blazing Miss for the country feature.

A full field of 16 runners plus four emergencies was declared for the Ramornie Handicap (1200m) on Monday morning with Blazing Miss drawing barrier three and to be ridden by Michael Cahill.

Blazing Miss is chasing a maiden black type win and is already a four-time placegetter in stakes grade including a last start third in the Listed Gai Waterhouse Classic at Ipswich.

“Blazing Miss has stayed in Queensland after she was very unlucky in that Gai Waterhouse Classic,” Newnham said.

“The inside draw probably brought her undone. It is great for the first half of the race but not necessarily from the 500 home where she didn’t have much luck.

“She got out late and hit the line strongly.

“She is bursting to win a Listed race and this is the last one of the season almost that she can run in.

“I think she has been in pretty good form and should run well again.”

Blazing Miss was rated a $13 chance with TAB fixed odds in the All-In market before the final field was declared on Monday morning and he was shortened slightly to $12.

Newnham also had I Am Power, a $17 hope in early betting, among the nominations but will instead wait to run the import in a benchmark 88 on Saturday at Randwick’s Winter Stakes meeting.

I Am Power was a winner at his last start at Randwick on May 22.

“He hasn’t run for about six weeks now because there hasn’t been a race for him,” Newnham said.

Wednesday’s feature Ramornie Handicap is followed by the $200,000 Listed Grafton Cup on Thursday.