Nationality: Australia

Background:
Age: 58. Renowned for a diligent and patient approach to training his horses, Mark Newnham has been involved in racing for over 30 years. His career includes stints under Australian Racing Hall of Fame trainers Bart Cummings and Gai Waterhouse. Alongside Cummings, Newnham worked with turf superstars such as Campaign King, Beau Zam, Tristanagh, Sky Chase and 1990 Melbourne Cup winner Kingston Rule. Newnham spent time in Europe but returned to Australia to begin a riding apprenticeship with Waterhouse in the late 1990s. Their relationship thrived and after riding stints overseas, Newnham went on to work full-time with Waterhouse where he played a vital role in her continued success. He rode the great Pierro in trackwork before that horse won the 2012 Golden Slipper and he did the same for Fiorente in the lead-up to his 2013 Melbourne Cup win. Newnham took out his licence to train in 2016 and was stabled in Sydney, Australia before switching to Hong Kong to continue his career ahead of the 2023/24 season. The handler was a regular figure in the ultra-competitive Sydney championship's top 10 with his stable producing standout performers Shadow Hero, Maid Of Heaven, Nakeeta Jane, Splintex and Quackerjack among over 400 career wins, including more than 40 at black-type level. He closed out his maiden season in Hong Kong with 31 wins before returning in 2024/25 to add a further 44 to his score. The 2025/26 season was his best in Hong Kong so far. Not only did he amass 61 wins, but he also achieved two of his biggest successes in the 2026 Hong Kong Derby with Invincible Ibis and the 2026 Champions Mile with My Wish. Invincible Ibis, Newnham's 100th winner in Hong Kong, was also crowned Champion Four-Year-Old and the Most Improved Horse (2025/26) following his 57-point rating rise across nine appearances.

Achievements:
Thoroughbred Excellence Award (2015).

Notable Race Wins Include
Hong Kong Derby (2026 Invincible Ibis), Champions Mile (2026 My Wish), Hong Kong Classic Mile (2025 My Wish), Spring Champion Stakes (2018 Maid Of Heaven, 2019 Shadow Hero), Randwick Guineas (2020 Shadow Hero), Surround Stakes (2019 Nakeeta Jane), G2 Sha Tin Trophy (2025 My Wish), G3 Celebration Cup (2025 My Wish).

Hong Kong Career Wins
(at start of 2026/27 season):136 (win strike rate: 9.8%).