Newnham can be a Hero to his dad
SYDNEY trainer Mark Newnham reckons his father John will be cheering louder than anyone for favourite Shadow Hero in the $2 million Victoria Derby.
Not only because his son has a gilt-edged chance to train the winner of the classic for the first time today at Flemington, but also because of a Father’s Day gift which could reap him a decent payout.
“I went the early crow there,” Newnham said.
“Coming up to Father’s Day this year, he’s got enough golf shirts so I bought him a $100 futures ticket on Shadow Hero in the Derby at $26.
“I hope he wins. But I hope he’s not expecting $2600 every Father’s Day.
“He’ll be watching at home. He’ll probably be cheering louder than anyone.”
Newham has long had confidence Shadow Hero had Derby potential and nothing the colt has done in the months since has made the trainer think differently.
Shadow Hero takes outstanding form into today’s 2500m staying test for threeyear-olds, having won the Group 3 Gloaming Stakes (1800m) and Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) in
Sydney at his past two starts. In the Spring Champion he beat subsequent Cox Plate runnerup Castelvecchio.
“It’s been about a threemonth plan and his preparation to date has been absolutely faultless,” Newnham said. “He was always just going to have the four starts so he should be peaking at the right time.
“He was great the other day in the Spring Champion, with a little bit of improvement left in him, so he’s getting here in the best possible shape he can be in and I think he just needs no bad luck.
“I haven’t really got any question marks. It’s only that I want a race that gives every horse their chance and I think if that happens I’m confident that my horse will come out on top.”
Shadow Hero, to be ridden by Josh Parr, was the $3.20 favourite with Ladbrokes last night ahead of the Caulfield Classic winner Thought Of That at $3.40 while Soul Patch is $4.80.
Newnham is confident Shadow Hero has the conformation and aerobic capacity to run the 2500m.
“Every race he has been in he has been the strongest through the line,” he said of Shadow Hero, a son of multiple Group 1 winner Pierro.