Newnham, Parr combine for Canberra Guineas

Trainer Mark Newnham and jockey Josh Parr have teamed with Final Award to win the Canberra Guineas.

Mark Newnham and Josh Parr have teamed up for more black-type success, with Final Award storming home from last to win the Listed Canberra Guineas.

The trainer-jockey combination has been behind Group One-winning filly Nakeeta Jane, who filled the minor placing behind The Autumn Sun in the Randwick Guineas on Saturday.

A day later, the stable’s male talent was on show as Final Award showed an impressive turn of foot to win Canberra’s $130,000 three-year-old feature.

After settling at the tail of the field, Parr peeled his mount into the clear at the top of the straight.

Final Award ($4) unleashed a superior sprint to win by half a length from Godolphin’s Laburnum ($5.50), with race leader Major Wager ($17) three lengths away third.

Newnham opted to drop Final Award back to 1400m after a disappointing last-start performance when he was a beaten odds-on favourite in a 1600m midweek race at Warwick Farm.

“It was apparent after Warwick Farm that he didn’t run a strong 1600 metres off a slow tempo,” Parr said.

“Here today they went really fast the first third of the race and it set up really nicely.”

Parr said the gelding was a horse on the way up, but cast doubt over how far he could progress during this preparation.

“He’s come a long way in a short space of time,” he said.

“How much further he goes this preparation might be a little bit of a question mark just based on a couple of things he did today. But winners are grinners.”

Final Award’s victory comes eight days after Parr and Newnham claimed a Group One win with Nakeeta Jane in the Surround Stakes.