KEY POINTS:
Laid-back Aussie recruit Garry Newham is not the kind of guy who gets worked up over life's milestones.
But he concedes it would be nice to start his first raceday in partnership with Graeme Rogerson on a winning note at Avondale today.
Newham, best known here until now as the trainer of group one raider Starcraft, saddles just two runners from the monster Tuhikaramea team, maiden hurdler Uncovered and the hopelessly-out-of-form Montefiore.
He's never even had the chance to train a jumper before from his former Gold Coast base, although he has ridden his share as a teenager around the show-jumping ring.
But from the little he's seen so far of Uncovered in work with stable rider Paul Boylan, who also takes the raceday mount, Newham is hopeful the Lady and Sir Patrick Hogan-owned gelding can get the new partnership off to the perfect start.
"I think he's ready to start doing something," said Newham, who admits he's still getting to know his new 90-strong arsenal.
"He jumps quite nice and he's just starting to get his head around it now. If the race is run to suit, I think he's a good each-way chance.
"Tomorrow [Wednesday's meeting] will tell us all."
Uncovered has a few other factors going for him in the La-Z-Boy Chair Hurdle today.
He's won twice on the course, thrives on loose heavy tracks, and has 3kg claim from Boylan, who is also searching for his first New Zealand victory.
It's hard to get as excited about Montefiore's chances in the last.
The 6-year-old hasn't won since quitting maidens on a good Matamata surface in April 2005.
But on the work Newham has seen since arriving at Tuhikaramea a fortnight back, he wouldn't be surprised to see a major form reversal in the last.
"If he decides he wants to do it, he'll be competitive," said Newham. "And he's got all day to think about it so that might help."
Newham says Andy Webb's 3kg apprentice claim also won't hurt.
As for Newham himself, the 55-year-old says he's thriving on everything about his new role, including the weather.
"It's a great challenge, and I love a challenge.
"I've been in racing too long to let pressure worry me."
Newham says he fell in love with New Zealand during his group-winning Hastings campaign with Starcraft in 2004.
When Rogerson approached him to replace Stephen Autridge, who is now in a Te Awamutu partnership with Keith and Brendan Hawtin, Newham jumped at the chance to come back.
