The Australian horseman, now in his third Hong Kong season, has been in irresistible form. Earlier this month, he secured his biggest success in the BMW Hong Kong Derby, and a five-timer soon followed. This latest trio of victories, however, had a different significance — it nudged him to 45 wins for the campaign, two clear of Caspar Fownes, with Danny Shum close behind.
The afternoon began with Ace, who shed his maiden status in the Class 5 Chung Chi Alumni Handicap (1400m). Ridden with assurance by Jerry Chau, the gelding travelled kindly before asserting himself late, suggesting he may not remain in this grade for long.
“I think he’s better than Class 5,” Newnham observed afterwards, noting the horse’s encouraging work leading into the race. The victory, achieved with authority, hinted at further improvement to come.
Max Que added the second leg in the Class 2 Shaw Alumni Handicap (1600m), continuing a season of admirable consistency. Under Alexis Badel, the five-year-old produced a measured performance, stalking the pace before finishing strongly. It was his fourth win of the campaign and extended a flawless record of finishing in the frame across nine starts.
Newnham admitted that such heights were not anticipated early in the season but praised the gelding’s reliability, describing him as a horse who consistently gives his best.
The treble was completed by Ever Luck in the Class 4 Faculty Of Education Alumni Handicap (1000m). With blinkers reapplied and the trip reduced, the three-year-old made full use of his natural speed under James Orman, leading decisively and never relenting. It was his second win from just five starts, and the performance suggested that sprint distances suit him best at this stage of his development.
Sha Tin Race Results 29 March: Supporting Cast Shine Across Competitive Card
While Newnham’s trio dominated the narrative, the meeting was rich with notable performances. Frankie Lor’s unbeaten three-year-old Salon S continued his ascent with a fourth consecutive victory in the Class 3 S.H. Ho Alumni Handicap (1400m). Dictating from the front under Matthew Poon, he found another gear when challenged, underlining his promise as a potential contender for next season’s Four-Year-Old Classic Series.
Young Champion, trained by John Size, displayed determination in the Class 2 CW Chu Alumni Handicap (1200m). Driven by Andrea Atzeni, he held off a sustained late challenge to clock a class record 1m 07.74s, a performance marked as much by resilience as by speed.
Atzeni also partnered Shotgun to an impressive success in the Class 4 New Asia Alumni Handicap (1400m), while David Hall’s consistent campaign continued to gather strength with another winner.
Persistence was rewarded when Charity Together, prepared by David Eustace, broke through at his 11th attempt in the Class 4 United Alumni Handicap (2000m). The Irish-bred had been knocking on the door all season and finally found his moment with a composed ride from Chau.
Francis Lui and Vincent Ho combined effectively with King Dance, who edged a tight finish in the Class 4 The CUHK Alumni Cup Handicap (1400m), while Lor returned to the winner’s circle with Better And Better in the Class 4 Graduate School Alumni Handicap (1200m), providing Badel with a double.
Rising Force produced a striking late surge to land the Class 3 Wu Yee Sun Alumni Handicap (1200m) for Ricky Yiu and Richard Kingscote, before The Golden Knight closed proceedings with a narrow success in the Class 3 Morningside and Lee Woo Sing Alumni Handicap (1600m).
The Sha Tin race results 29 March meeting, competitive throughout, ultimately belonged to Newnham — a trainer whose momentum shows little sign of slowing as the season gathers pace.
Hong Kong racing resumes at Sha Tin on Wednesday, 1 April.
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