Mark Newnham dominates dirt feature to win with Classic Mile hope on way to triple | HK Racing

Mark Newnham dominated the grade two en route to a treble at Sha Tin on Sunday, propelling himself into second place in the trainers’ premiership after winning 25 of the season’s 88 meetings.

After Sing Dragon led stablemate Full Credit home in the Class Two Peninsula Golden Jubilee Challenge Cup (1,200m) on the all-weather track, Talents Ambition managed to take the Class Three Mody Handicap (1,650m) and Newnham a running dirt double to hand over.

Classic Mile hopeful My Wish completed Newnham’s three-timer to take his handler’s tally of wins to 20 – two behind leader Pierre Ng Pang-chi – by taking out the Class Three Salisbury Handicap (1,400m).

“Absolutely great. We didn’t come with many runners, but we had real chances all day and it couldn’t have gone better,” said Newnham.

“That’s a bit surreal,” he added of his second-place finish in the championship. “One thing that has been very consistent from day one of the season is that our horses have been running well every week.

“We haven’t had any real breakdowns yet, and of course that will happen at some point with the rating system. But we still have some unexposed horses and hopefully they will fill the gaps when the others have found their level.

“I probably don’t have enough horses at my disposal to be a real threat, but if we stay as consistent as we have been from the start of the season to the finish, we will finish in a good place.”

In the first class two of the 1,200 meters on dirt this season, Sing Dragon improved his course and distance record to four wins from five attempts.

After traveling at one-one under Matthew Chadwick, Sing Dragon found enough in the home leg to hold off the fast-finishing Full Credit by a neck.

“They both had a good chance and that’s how it ended. They both had nice light weights (and) they were pulled side by side in the gates,” Newnham said.

“The only difference was that Sing Dragon had established form in all weather conditions, but (Full Credit) showed he can handle it well.

“(Sing Dragon’s) form on the turf was quite good in class two, so you knew coming in today that he is a few lengths better in all weather conditions and he showed that. They are both nice horses and it was a great result.”

With the next six-furlong Class Two dirt race not taking place until February at the earliest, Newnham will consider racing Sing Dragon over 1,400 meters on grass, while Full Credit could do the same in time.

“He’s a sprinter, he’s really a six-furlong horse. I might be able to stretch him to 1,400 meters, but I wouldn’t see him making the four-year-old series. I think that would be to his detriment,” Newnham said of Full Credit.

“But there are a lot of options for him now that he has shown he can handle both (surfaces).”

One galloper that is most certainly heading into the four-year run is My Wish, with the son of Flying Artie taking his third win of the season and pushing his rating into the high 70s.

“He’s shown good improvement every start, but I think a lot of the credit goes to Luke (Ferraris) today,” said Newnham after My Wish crossed the fence at gate 13 in third.

“From a wide gate he couldn’t have reached a better place if he had gate one. That shows confidence in the horse and its ability to get the job done.

“The horse is very progressive and does the right things. He’s getting to a level that would suggest (the Classic Mile is) a good target for him.

“He still needs to show he can run for miles, but with the way he settled in today there’s no reason not to try.”

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