Sha Of Gomer eyes Newmarket repeat

By Glenn Davis

Sha Of Gomer put Jeff Dunn’s name up in lights last year and now the Beaudesert trainer is hoping the gelding can do it again when he attempts to defend his Newmarket crown at Rockhampton on Thursday.

Dunn sent six horses to Rockhampton last year and is heading back with a similar number this year.

Sha Of Gomer has easily been Dunn’s best horse during his short training career.

“I sent him up for the Newmarket last year after he ran second in the (Listed) Eye Liner Stakes at Ipswich and he won quite well,” Dunn said.

Sha Of Gomer has had a similar lead-up to this year’s Newmarket after finishing eighth to the Michael Freedman-trained Soothsayer in the Eye Liner Stakes at Ipswich on June 20.

“It was a terrific run in the Eye Liner as he was only beaten three lengths after he was galloped on and lost his back two plates,” Dunn said.

“He was coming home with a wet sail and you could see something was wrong when his rider (Anthony Allen) stood up in the irons.”

Dunn collected his first stakes win with Sha Of Gomer in last year’s Listed Ramornie Handicap at Grafton, just 12 days after his Newmarket triumph at Callaghan Park.

“The plan is to try to do both again and win the Newmarket and go back for the Ramornie once more,” Dunn said.

“He’s a sensible horse and nothing fazes him, so we’ll have another crack at the Ramornie if he goes well in 'Rocky'.

“His rating has spiked since he won the Ramornie last year, so there aren’t any easy kills anymore.”

Sha Of Gomer gave Dunn another stakes placing when he ran third in the Listed Weetwood at Toowoomba in September last year, which earned him an interstate trip.

“He wasn’t disgraced when I took him down for the Sydney Stakes at Randwick, where he was caught wide most of the way,” he said.

“Unfortunately, he had an injury while he was down there when he struck his leg on a concrete wall while having a roll in his box.

“He had surgery to remove a piece of dead bone in one of his back legs.”

Dunn believes Sha Of Gomer is going as good as last year when he claimed the Newmarket.

“He’s going just as good now as last year and his recent form is a bit deceiving,” he said.

“He had a long layoff after the surgery and his form doesn’t read as good as it is.

“I’m expecting him to run well and he’ll appreciate being back on top of the ground.”