Mark Newnham is very good at placing his horses and a decision to send Deep Field mare A Very Fine Red to Melbourne for the Listed MRC Alinghi Stakes (1100m) paid dividends when she scraped in to win by a whisker.

Stakes-placed three times previously, A Very Fine Red was second up from a spell and ready to fire with Josh Parr getting everything out of the speedy chestnut to post that valuable Black Type win at the expensive of gallant runner-up Shalstar.

“She was in a fight for the length of the straight and she was still able to stick her head out on the line and win,” said Josh Parr.

“She’s been unlucky twice at Black Type level, so it was very important for her today to win at this level and I’m thrilled to get the job done.”

A $120,000 Inglis Easter purchase from the Vinery Stud draft for Steve Summers, A Very Fine Red has the overall record of three wins and four placings from 12 starts with prizemoney in excess of $319,000.

Bred by Phoenix Thoroughbreds, she is the first foal of winning Nicconi mare Italian Storm, a half-sister to Group I placed stakes-winner Soft Sand and grand-daughter of French Group I winner Loving Claim.

Italian Storm was a savvy purchase for Sledmere Stud  fromthe 2019 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale for just $35,000 and they sold a Sooboog colt from her at Inglis Classic earlier this year for $30,000…. Not surprisingly to Mark Newnham.

She has foaled this spring producing a colt by Dirty Work.

A Very Fine Red is the 20th stakes-winner for Deep Field, who stands at Newgate at a fee of $88,000 this spring.