Sha Tin's All-Weather Track is often an afterthought for many but few have mastered it faster than third-season trainer Mark Newnham.
This Saturday, the Australian trainer launches a rare three-pronged assault on the Class 2 High West Handicap (1,650 meters) with Talents Ambition, Sing Dragon and Mojave Desert — three proven performers on the surface.
"It's unusual to get three in a race here in Hong Kong," Newnham said. "But I'd planned it that way. They're all genuine dirt horses and all eligible, so I wanted them aimed at this race from the start."
Newnham expects Sing Dragon to roll forward and make his own luck, Mojave Desert to stalk the leaders from midfield and Talents Ambition to settle back and finish late.
"Whichever way the pace unfolds, we've got a good play from every position," he said.
He said each of the trio had been set for the race.
"Mojave Desert needed to win last start to get his rating up to get into it, so he was always going to be the third pick, but he got there. Sing Dragon's form has always been very solid, and so has Talents Ambition — they're genuine dirt horses."
The trainer's philosophy when it comes to the dirt, or Happy Valley, is a "horses for courses" approach. Finding suitable assignments for his team has resulted in a high strike rate overall during his tenure, but particularly at the Valley and on the AWT.
The trainer said it was important to observe barrier trials on the track closely to get a handle on a horse's ability to adapt. "I trial them on it early, see how they handle kickback, and find which ones really enjoy it," he explained. "Pedigree matters too, Talents Ambition is from an American dirt line, so it wasn't a surprise he adapted so well."
That planning shows in the numbers. Newnham's overall strike rate last season was 9.17% but his strike rate on the All Weather Track was second overall at 15.91%. He's carried that momentum into 2025/26 with a two-from-six record to start the term.
"It's a good alternative surface," he said. "Some horses that struggle around the bends on turf at 1,200m can extend further on the dirt. It's a bit more forgiving too, which suits certain types like Sing Dragon — he appreciates the cushion."
Once horses reach Class 2 on the dirt, options narrow, which has inspired some Hong Kong trainers to contest overseas dirt features, even for multi-race campaigns in Dubai.
Hong Kong's dirt specialists have traveled successfully before — Rich Tapestry famously won a Grade 1 in the US. Last month Self Improvement captured the Korea Sprint and is likely to head to Dubai for the upcoming carnival.
Newnham is unsure if any of his trio has the quality to follow a similar path and his immediate focus is Saturday. "If they ever warranted it, I wouldn't say no," Newnham said of potential overseas trips. "But for now, their job's here."
The trainer rose to ninth with 44 wins last term and while the stable sits atop the trainers' table with eight wins from seven meetings, Newnham is not getting carried away. "Come see me in July," he quipped when asked about the early lead. "It's a marathon not a sprint."
