Newnham banking on A Very Fine return

Trainer Cliff Brown and connections of Yaphet were looking forward to the spring with the stayer. But those spring hopes were diminished after Yaphet wrenched a joint before stepping foot on a racetrack in the spring and plans were abandoned. After a spell and a steady build up, Yaphet is ready for his racetrack return in the Tile Importer Handicap…

Laurie is keen on the chances of Scheelite at Caulfield on Saturday. Photo: Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images. Proven value hunter Laurie Sainsbury is siding with an each-way value runner in the Memsie Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday. Here are this week's tips. LAURIE SAINSBURY SCHEELITE (Caulfield Race 5 No 5) He won his first two starts at Hillside…

The Royal Randwick 1100m course record could be challenged when the speed machines clash in the James Tedesco Outreach Program Handicap on Saturday. With fast, shortcourse specialists like noted on-pacers Malkovich, Spaceboy, Tavisan, The Face and even Titanium Power in the field, it will ensure the sprint race is run at solid tempo. The Randwick…

Hawaii Five Oh was one of the surprise packets of the late Sydney Autumn and Brisbane Winter and looks to have come back just as well, leading all the way in Tuesday's first trial at Rosehill to defeat a star-studded field. Jumping well from an outside gate under Adam Hyeronimous, Hawaii Five Oh was given a good hit out in the straight to maintain…

Sunshine Rising (Rise High, yellow cap) winning the 2019 Sha Tin Trophy. Picture: HKJC Mark Newnham's stable has suffered a significant blow after star sprinter Joyful Fortune has succumbed to injury, but the trainer believes another former Hong Kong star can make an autumn statement in the Carlyon Cup on the Sandown Hillside course on…

Mission Phoenix will contest his first stakes race in three years when he tackles the January Cup at Rosehill on Saturday. Picture: Getty Images Trainer Mark Newnham reeled off the reasons as he made a compelling case for comeback stayer Mission Phoenix in the Listed $160000 January Cup (2000m) at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday. "Mission Phoenix…

Trainer Mark Newnham (left) believes Sunshine Rising still has some good racing in front of him. Picture: Vince Caligiuri-Getty Images One look at the formguide will tell you why ex-Hong Kong galloper Sunshine Rising is attracting plenty of attention ahead of his first run in 671 days in Saturday's Group 3 Festival Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill. The…

Champion sprinter Nature Strip can edge closer to Winx's world prizemoney record if he wins the Group 1 $3 million Darley Champions Sprint (1200m) at Flemington on Saturday. Nature Strip, the world's number one-ranked sprinter, took his career earnings to just over $20 million when he ran fourth to Giga Kick in The Everest last start. In latest TAB…

She's Extremely good: Favourite wins Oaks to add another Cummings to record books Another Oaks, another Cummings - this time it was Anthony Cummings who saddled the winner She's Extreme, to claim a race his father Bart won a record nine times, and his son James won last year. Despite being a hot favourite, punters were either firmly with or against…

Trainer Mark Newnham believes he has got all the bad luck out of the way with Matcha Latte going into the Group 1 $2 million Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday. Matcha Latte earned a start in the three-year-old classic after a narrow loss to Sharp'N' Smart in the traditional Spring Champion lead-up, the Gloaming…

The sixth running of The Everest is upon us, and we can't deny that it's the weakest edition yet. The problem with The Everest was always going to be when there was an outstanding dominant sprinter. It's a concept that couldn't have been launched when Black Caviar was around, for instance. What this race has always needed is competition, and it has…

Nature Strip winning the 2021 Everest. Can he go back-to-back? The final field and barrier draw for the $15m TAB Everest have been revealed. Hot favourite Nature Strip, who drew the widest barrier, is looking for back-to-back wins in the great race on Saturday. The barrier draw was made public on Tuesday night with a 500-strong drone light show…

Ingratiating will be given his chance in Saturday's $15m Everest. Picture: Reg Ryan-Racing Photos via Getty Images Godolphin has surprised by selecting Ingratiating for their slot to complete the field for the $15 million The TAB Everest at Royal Randwick on Saturday. Ingratiating is the 12th and final sprinter into the field for the world's…

Nature Strip will follow the same path to the Everest as last year with a jumpout at Rosehill on Wednesday. Picture: Grant Guy Nature Strip, the world's best sprinter and hot favourite for the $15m The TAB Everest, is likely to have a jumpout at Rosehill Gardens on Wednesday morning. Trainer Chris Waller is mirroring the successful big-race…

Trainer Bjorn Baker has a second starter for the $15m The TAB Everest with his talented mare Shades Of Rose being selected for the world's richest turf race Hong Kong-based Bon Ho, owner of 2020 The Everest winner Classique Legend, has secured Shades Of Rose for his Everest slot. Baker confirmed Shades Of Rose's selection on Thursday, just 24 hours…

Overpass clashes with a number of Everest rivals in Saturday's Premiere Stakes at Randwick. Picture: Grant Guy Overpass, the ninth confirmed starter for The TAB Everest, gets another opportunity to prove he can compete with the nation's elite sprinters in the Group 2 $1 million Premiere Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday. The Bjorn…

Ex Hong-Kong galloper Joyful Fortune backs up impressive trials with dominant win on Australian debut The writing was on the wall with Joyful Fortune who had matched motors with Eduardo in a recent Sydney trial and Josh Parr making the trip down to Melbourne for the one ride. Jumping an easing favourite for new trainer Mark Newnham, Parr led the…

Michael Hawkes is confident Masked Crusader can bounce back to his best this campaign Billed as a'mini Everest', The Shorts is set to live up to the hype with the five sprinters confirmed for slots in the $15 million showpiece on a collision course at Randwick. Reigning Everest champion Nature Strip steps out for the first time since winning the…

Classique Legend ahead of his Canterbury barrier trial on September 1. Picture: Mark Evans-Getty Images Hall of Fame trainer Les Bridge has confirmed the "Grey Flash" Classique Legend won't barrier trial again ahead of his comeback in the star-studded Group 2 $1m The Shorts (1100m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday. Bridge had nominated Classique…

The Peter and Paul Snowden stable is set to smash the $100m prizemoney barrier if Mazu and Mirra Vision can snare a feature race double across two states on Saturday. Boom sprinter Mazu is favourite for the Group 1 $1m Doomben 10000 (1200m) at Eagle Farm and Mirra Vision among the main chances in the Group 3 $200000 Arrowfield Dark Jewel Classic…

Joyful Fortune has continued his affinity with the Flemington straight with and impressive victory in the Century Stakes. A former Hong Kong galloper who was restricted to straight track racing before returning to Australia with knee problems, scored in a benchmark 70 race at Flemington over 1100m back in September. That 4-¼ length win led to…

Trainers Peter and Paul Snowden are keen for Cythera to enhance her reputation and Ebhaar to restore hers when they clash in the Group 2 $250000 Silver Slipper Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday. Cythera is out to prove she is a legitimate Golden Slipper contender after making a winning start to her race career with a tough effort to…

Promising filly Harmony Rose begins a preparation aimed at the Group 1 ATC Australian Oaks in a lowly benchmark 72 race for fillies and mares, the TAB Handicap (1400m) at Randwick's Kensington track on Wednesday. But trainer Mark Newnham believes Harmony Rose has the ability to quickly rise through the grades and announce herself as a genuine…

Anthony Cummings' first thought after Kote's trial win at Randwick on Monday morning was to wait until next month to launch the gelding's campaign, but the lack of entries for Saturday's $250000 Group 2 Expressway Stakes has him reconsidering. The three-year-old was one of just four horses nominated for the 1200-metre weight-for-age event, joined…