Mark Newnham Aims to Boost Trainer Standings with Five Chances at Happy Valley

Mark Newnham will be looking to add to his late-season tally with five solid chances at Happy Valley on Wednesday, including recent stable transfer Robot Lucky Star in the Class Three Des Voeux Road Central Handicap (1,000m).

Every win counts towards the trainers’ championship with only seven meetings left for the 2025-26 season, and Newnham currently sits third on 58 – five behind leader Caspar Fownes and one behind Danny Shum Chap-shing.

One of Newnham’s latest stable additions, Robot Lucky Star, has secured a win and three placings from six starts in Hong Kong when racing for Manfred Man Ka-leung. The son of Hellbent will be looking to improve on that record when taking on his winning distance once again over the 1,000m, this time at Happy Valley.

While the four-year-old will have the task of jumping from barrier 10 on the A course, he will be aided by the light weight of 118lb with the services of Angus Chung Yik-lai.

“He’s looked to have good ability. I just thought I’d take him back to 1,000m for the first run for the stable, but unfortunately he’s drawn a difficult gate,” Newnham said.

Newnham believes keeping Robot Lucky Star fresh for the 1,000m task will be key to his chances, and has opted not to trial him in the three weeks between runs.

“He’s going back in distance, so I just wanted to keep him fresh. Taking him back to 1,000m, I didn’t think he needed a trial. I’ve ridden him a couple of times in work and he feels ready. But gate 10 over 1,000m at Happy Valley with the rail in the true position is a difficult task,” Newnham said.

“I just thought he didn’t finish his race off strongly enough last time at 1,200m, so in Class Three company, I thought it was a good starting point for him.”

Chung will also take the reins on Legend Winner who looks to go back-to-back for Newnham in the Class Three King’s Road Handicap (1,650m).

The four-year-old Pierata galloper appreciated the drop back to Class Four company at his last two starts with a win and third placing and comes back up in grade full of confidence, with a much kinder draw of three compared to gate 11 last start.

“I think it just gave him a bit of confidence. He’s still adjusting to Hong Kong racing, but his form at Happy Valley since we switched him has been good. He gets on pace, gets a light weight, inside draw – so he gets his chance to step up into Class Three,” Newnham said.

King Lotus relished the drop back in distance last start, showing a super turn of foot late, and will contest the same trip again in the Class Three Leighton Road Handicap (1,200m) with Lyle Hewitson aboard.

“His rating got quite high – he still ran well early in the season over the 1,650m but then probably got too high in the ratings and was a little bit flat. He had a bit of a freshen up and back to 1,200m was good, so I was happy enough to leave him at 1,200m and keep him a bit fresh,” Newnham said.

Hugh Bowman will seek to maintain his perfect record on Casa Rochester in the second section of the Class Four Morrison Hill Road Handicap (1,650m).

The son of Redwood has put in two solid performances following an enforced break due to a left stifle injury in November, and has plenty in his favour on Wednesday with a drop back in class, barrier four and Bowman’s services – despite shouldering 132lb.

“He had a little injury, which he’s over now, and both his runs back have been good. He drops down to Class Four and obviously has to carry the top weight. Hugh hasn’t ridden him since he won on him in Class Four, so I just thought it was a nice race for him. He carried 132lb when he did win, but he only won by a nose last season,” Newnham said.

“All his runs this season have been good, even though there was a fair space between the first couple and now. He’s been drawing out wide, so he finally gets a good gate, drops in class, gets Hugh Bowman – so he’s got a few positives.”

Cloud Nine returns to Happy Valley, this time with blinkers removed, as he looks to break through in the first section of the Class Four Connaught Road Central Handicap (1,200m).

“I just thought he overdid it a bit with the blinkers on, it didn’t have the effect I needed it to. So we’re back to the same track and distance where he’s performed well without the blinkers on – now he gets his chance,” Newnham said.

“Last time he raced at Happy Valley over 1,200m was strong, he got beaten by a genuine Class Three horse [in Storming Dragon]. He goes in there with a definite chance. Even though gate nine’s not ideal, he has got good early speed.”

Luke Ferraris will again combine with the three-year-old son of Tiger Heart, who has trialled well at Conghua between runs.

“I’ve done the same sort of thing I’ve done with a few horses this season; switching back to Conghua for a little bit of a freshen up. Trial was good there last week, just tired a little bit late, so his fitness improved,” Newnham said.