Denham will start the classy Strat's Flyer first-up in the $140,000 group 3 Newmarket.

He will be chasing his first Newmarket win but has scored in Newcastle's other feature sprint, the Cameron Handicap, with Collate in 2005.

Denham had to cope with the death of his father last month.

Denham said his father, who won the big trifecta of Australian racing - the Melbourne Cup, Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate - with his champion Might And Power, taught him everything he knows about training and fuelled his love of the thoroughbred.

Jack Denham dominated big racing throughout Australia during his long and illustrious career.

One race that Jack Denham had a special affinity with was the Newmarket at Newcastle.

He holds the record for the most Newmarket wins with four.

He won his first in 1958 with Achnacary and followed up with Ricochet (1970), Favoured (1974) and Zabarra, ridden by Cessnock's favourite son Robert Thompson, in 2003.

A win to Strat's Flyer would put Allan's name alongside his dad in Newmarket history, something he would love to achieve.

Denham has booked champion Sydney rider Hugh Bowman for Strat's Flyer.

Strat's Flyer has won eight of his 32 starts and been placed another 13 times for almost $550,000 in prizemoney.

The gelding has not started since finishing fourth at Doomben behind Heart Of The Citi on October 24 last year over 1350m.

"Strat's Flyer has trialled twice and is going well," Denham said.

"He is ready to run and Hugh Bowman was keen to get the ride, which is a good sign.

"Hugh has been on him enough to know how good he is on his day.

"He will head towards the big races in the autumn if he goes well at Newcastle."