Two-time Group 1 winner Shadow Hero on hold until late spring

Mark Newnham isn’t in a hurry this spring with his recently returned proven Group 1 performer Shadow Hero.

Shadow Hero heading out for the Victoria Derby. Picture: George Salpigtidis–Getty Images

Randwick trainer Mark Newnham isn’t far off igniting the flame with his recently returned multiple Group 1 winner Shadow Hero.

The Pierro gelding claimed wins in the Spring Champion Stakes and Randwick Guineas during his three-year-old season in 2019/20 before a failed relocation to Hong Kong where he was well below his best in five runs.

Following on from an unplaced performance in the Group 1 Hong Kong Derby, now a five-year-old Shadow Hero returned to Australia to resume his career under the tutelage of Newnham.

“He’s going well, I’m quite happy with him,” the trainer said. “He’s about a fortnight off having a trial.

“The first thing I’m focused on is getting him back into form.

“I’m happy with him. I had a ride on him last week and I was really happy with what I felt.

Here comes the Hero!

Two starts @royalrandwick for two Group 1's - what a horse! @mark_mnracing's Shadow Hero wins the G1 Randwick Guineas in a thriller with @JoshuaParr8 in the saddle 👏 pic.twitter.com/KwwjTstzYk

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) March 7, 2020

“He just needed to put on some condition which he has, his coat’s still a bit wintry but that’s going to change in the weeks ahead.

“We’ll just get him looking and feeling good before we push the button with him.”

Shadow Hero is likely to miss much of the spring with his trainer content to target races late in the carnival and during the summer before aiming up at a weight-for-age Group 1 target in the New Year.

“I’m thinking of waiting until the back end of the carnival to produce him,” Newnham said. “Maybe even waiting and running in The Gong and the Villiers with him.

“They are handicaps that are more than likely going to be run on nice big tracks over a mile and the closer we get to summer, the more chance we have of getting dry tracks.

“He won a Randwick Guineas second-up over a mile so one lead-up race into The Gong is a nice position to be in.

Mark Newnham. Photo: Mark Evans/Getty Images.

“Another option is for him to go down for the Cantala but I would prefer to keep him in Sydney for the spring and the early summer.

“The Gong is worth a million and the Villiers is worth three-quarters of a million so why would I want to be floating him down to Melbourne?

“That makes me reluctant to travel him this year.

“Long term I’m thinking of aiming up at the Australian Cup with him in the autumn.

“Two-thousand, dry ground, which he needs and a nice big track like Flemington will suit him.”

The Newnham-trained Quackerjack went down narrowly behind Mister Sea Wolf in the inaugural running of The Gong in 2019 when beaten a head by Mister Sea Wolf.

Three weeks later Quackerjack came out on top when taking out the Group 2 Villiers Stakes, defeating Invincible Gem and Sambro.

Originally published as Two-time Group 1 winner Shadow Hero on hold until late spring