Trainer Matt Dunn is hopeful that the talented Moon Sweeper can provide star apprentice Jett Newman with a memorable farewell winner in the TAB Highway Plate (1600m) at Royal Randwick this Saturday, July 12, 2026.
Newman is set to transfer her indentures to the renowned stable of Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, commencing her tenure at Tulloch Lodge following the conclusion of the Randwick meeting.
Dunn’s decision to permit Newman to seek opportunities in Sydney’s competitive racing scene is a commendable one, as he believes the juncture is optimal for her professional growth.
“If I hold Jett back any longer, her career development might stagnate,” Dunn told Racing And Sports.
“She’s a competitive kid and now is the time to send her down to Sydney for the next challenge.
“She has been with me for about 14 months now and this has all happened a year or so before we had anticipated.
“But Jett ripped through her country claim in 10 months and is down to claiming 2kg at the provincials.
“She’s ready for this move and it will give her the chance to ride against the better jockeys in a very competitive environment. Even riding trackwork against these jockeys will help her development.”
Having ridden for less than two seasons, 18-year-old Newman has already amassed an impressive 113 wins, including 58 victories for the Dunn stable.
Dunn, however, confessed that he was initially hesitant about taking on the promising young apprentice.
“A good friend of her father, Mitch, is a friend of mine and he rang me one day to ask if I wanted to take on an apprentice,” Dunn said.
“I said ‘no, not really’ but he still sent me about 50 replays of Jett riding in barrier trials.
“When I watched her riding, it was noticeable she had the perfect ‘seat’ in the saddle and just looked a natural.”
Dunn, who is enjoying a career-best season with 126 winners to date and sits seventh in the NSW premiership with earnings approaching $6.4 million, is optimistic that Moon Sweeper can cap off his partnership with Newman with a victory at Royal Randwick.
Moon Sweeper enters the race as the $1.70 favourite, following a commanding win in the Rosehill Highway last start, aiming to maintain its winning form.
“The only Highways Moon Sweeper he can run in these days are the ‘Plates’ otherwise he would get 65kg,” Dunn said.
“But gets into Saturday’s race with 59kg topweight and after Jett’s claim, he has 56kg so he’s well weighted.”He has drawn a nice barrier, likes the wet and he’s in very good form.”
Newman is scheduled to ride in four races at Randwick, including two mounts for the Brett and Georgie Cavanough stable: Honniball Drive ($23) in the Elite Sand And Soil Handicap (1400m) and Williamsburg ($15) in the Precise Air Handicap (1800m), along with the Matthew Smith-trained Astero ($26) in the Toyota Forklifts Handicap (1400m).
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