Mark Newnham continued his excellent season and My Wish continued his remarkable rise when the pint-sized Flying Artie four year-old won the Hong Kong Classic Mile on Friday in and Australian bred trifecta.
My Wish, weighing in at around 450kg, started this season with a win in at Class 4 level and has now won four of his six season starts culminating in this win at the top level of four year-olds in the first leg of the Hong Kong Classic Series with the Hong Kong Classic Cup and Hong Kong Derby to come.
Luke Ferraris put his mount into a perfect spot and produced a determined kick to take the lead at the 200m mamrk and kept going to beat the fast finishing Divano (Brave Smash) by a neck with Packing Hermod (Rubick) third.
“I was confident going into the race we had him as good a shape as we could,” said Newnham who currently sits in the top five on the trainer’s list.
“In the last month he showed he could run the mile and we just stayed with the same process that he’s had all season, going a month between runs, a trial and one gallop.
“And all those things went seamlessly.
“His trial was as good as he’s ever trialled and his work on Tuesday was very good.
“And his appetite’s improved. As he’s raced on through the season he’s toughened up a little bit. We all know he’s only a small horse but gees he’s got good heart.”
My Wish is the first foal of Reset mare Set The Tone, a winner over 2100m, from a family which includes Group I winners Mazu and Headway.
She wasn’t served again until 2023 when she returned to Flying Artie, producing a full brother to My Wish last year before being served by Hawaii Five Oh.
My Wish is another high class galloper, and ninth stakes winner, for Blue Gum Farm’s Flying Artie who is a stallion that has shown he can get a genuinely top class galloper with the likes of Artorius and last year’s Royal Ascot heroine Asfoora.
Brave Smash’s Divano impressed with his runner-up effort charging to the line to get within a neck.
He started big odds but Blake Shinn thought enough of him to travel for the ride and with this his first run at the mile, he gives the impression he’s going to enjoy stepping up to the 1800m of the Classic Cup on March 2.
Likewise Packing Hermod (Rubick x Black Tulip) who started favourite, and sustained his determined finish to get within half a length, also having his first run at the mile.
