Trainer Mark Newnham celebrated his fourth Group 1 success at Royal Randwick and his second with Shadow Hero with the Rosehill Guineas-bound son of Pierro dominating the Randwick Guineas 2020 results.

Shadow Hero is on way to the Rosehill Guineas after an excellent 2020 Randwick Guineas win. Photo: Steve Hart.

Newnham was formerly part of the Tulloch Lodge team led by Gai Waterhouse and had plenty to do with their five-time Group 1 winner turned ace stallion Pierro.

More and more Shadow Hero is reminding Newnham of his champion sire, the gelding having had two starts at Randwick for two Group 1 victories.

“He’s got a great Randwick profile, he’s a fabulous animal,” Newnham said.

“He’s got so much of his father about him. He pins those ears back. He just wants to win.

“There is a lot about him that reminds me of him (Pierro).

“His shear will to win, his lung capacity, relaxed manner. He parades better than any horse I’ve ever had.”

The first Randwick win by Shadow Hero was in the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) last October.

After resuming with a credible fifth behind upset winner Brandenburg at Rosehill in the Group 2 Hobartville Stakes (1400m), Shadow Hero returned to Randwick and added another elite level victory to his CV in the Group 1 $1 million Randwick Guineas (1600m).

Ridden to victory once again by a patient Joshua Parr, the eventual winner was beautifully position three or fourth back in the run along the inside.

The field was led around by Reloaded who took up the front position after moving forward at the 1000m from Microphone who also went forward from a wide draw on the outside.

Once on the straight, Chris Waller’s Hobartville Stakes runner-up Reloaded was still leading with the Godolphin-raced Group 1 ATC Sires’ winning Exceed And Excel colt Microphone doing the chasing.

It was Shadow Hero ($6) who got the late split 75m out from the winning post, charging through to steal the show with a three-quarter length win over a brave Microphone ($4.60) who was third in the Hobartville.

“We had a pre-race plan to find the fence. The fence has looked to be on fire here today,” Parr said post-win.

“They didn’t go a gallop which we thought might have been the case so we thought it might have been ahead of us and this beauty kept sticking his head out all the way to the line and here we are again with another Group 1.

“He’s grown and developed into this beautiful animal now. Look at the shoulder on him which he didn’t have last prep and we’re still a Group 1 winner.

“He excites me. I galloped him at Warwick Farm and I don’t think Mark could believe his clock and I couldn’t believe the work. He hasn’t galloped better. This is great isn’t it.”

Hobartville winner Brandenburg ($5.50) ran another race rounding out the Randwick Guineas trifecta in a close third ahead of Reloaded who crossed a length off the winner to complete the first four.

“When Josh got him into the clear at the top of the straight, he started to surge between them, I was pretty confident he would be the strongest late,” Newnham added of Shadow Hero.

“Even just to sit on him there is a lot more horse underneath you.

“He’s a tall horse but a little narrow across the front. Physically he’s improved, mentally he’s improved. I think there is a lot more to come.”

Newnham confirmed plans to follow the traditional autumn staying path in Sydney for three-year-olds with Shadow Hero to back-up in the Group 1 $600,000 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) on March 21 on way to the Group 1 $2 million Australian Derby (2400m) back at Royal Randwick on April 4.

“We’ll follow the Rosehill Guineas/Derby plan. I don’t see any reason to change,” he said.

The updated 2020 Rosehill Guineas odds at Ladbrokes.com.au have Shadow Hero as the $4.60 favourite, while the galloper also leads all-in Australian Derby 2020 betting at $6.

The Autumn Sun (2019) and It’s A Dundeel (2013) are the latest horses to win the Randwick Guineas – Rosehill Guineas double.

Click here for the latest Rosehill Guineas 2020 betting markets courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.

2020 Randwick Guineas Results