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By Ray Hickson

Everest hopeful Joyful Fortune has been thrown in the deep end but trainer Mark Newnham says how he performs against the world’s best sprinter could set up his future in Australia.

Trainer Mark Newnham.

The former Hong Kong galloper’s inclusion in Saturday’s $15m TAB Everest (1200m) at Royal Randwick surprised even Newnham but from spending plenty of time on the gelding’s back he knows he’s dealing with a quality sprinter.

“If he has a top five finish he’s gone as well as could be expected,’’ Newnham said.

“As a Benchmark 77 horse if he can run top five he wouldn’t be out of place in any good sprint in Australia in the next 18 months. It will help my planning, depending on how well he runs.

“If he does that it makes his next run or two fairly easy, if he doesn’t we can go back to a benchmark race.”

Joyful Fortune was selected by Aquis to fill its Everest slot on the back of a runaway win at his Australian debut at Flemington, in an 1100m Benchmark 70 event on a heavy 10, a month ago.

He actually returned from Hong Kong about a year ago to retire having sustained an injury but it was soon clear, once he had recovered and put on condition, that racing was what he thrives on.

At his Hong Kong debut he ran 55.07 for the 1000m at Sha Tin and established himself as a horse to watch but he only won one of his next six and wound up requiring knee chip surgery on both front legs and was sent back to Australia.

“Looking at his Hong Kong form he’s obviously a naturally talented horse with high speed,’’ Newnham said.

“It’s a matter of managing the issues that he’s had an the reasons he came back here to retire.

“Derek Tam and Peter Coffey, who own him, have a few horses up at GT Park at Kulnura, some of them are retired Hong Kong horses and Lanciato is still up there.

“They want what is best for the horse and he’s been given a second opportunity here and so far so good. We’ve managed to tailor his training to suit his frame and he’s enjoying what we’re doing with him, he does a lot of swimming and goes to the beach.

“I didn’t expect to be in an Everest at our second start in Australia but I'm happy we are.”

Tom Sherry will ride Joyful Fortune in the TAB Everest and prior to the barrier draw he was a $51 chance with TAB.

Newnham has partnered the horse himself in a number of gallops and describes him as a “big, powerful, high class sprinter”. He concedes it’s going to be a big challenge to finish in the top five but said he does bring something different to the Everest.

“I was a little shocked but I can see the reasoning behind it,’’ he said.

Joyful Fortune wins a Rosehill trial on October 4

“The established form of the horses that have been beaten up by Nature Strip, you know what you’re getting from those.

“Nobody knows what we’re going to get from Joyful Fortune bar the fact he has good gate speed, a high cruising speed, and he goes in all types of ground.

“That’s the point of difference with the Everest. You should be able to bring a left field horse here because you can.

“If it was a 12 horse field based on ratings he’s not going to make the field. After the race we will find out whether he deserved his spot or not.”

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