Champion jockey Craig Newitt dominated Sunday’s eight-race card in Hobart, securing four winners, including all three feature races.
On a day when it was particularly advantageous to race up on the speed, Newitt led all the way for victories in the $50,000 Lady Lynette & Blackflash and the $100,000 Summer Cup.
The first of Newitt’s winning quartet came in the Kevin Sharkie Lady Lynette (1100m), with Sanniya ($1.28 fav) proving too good for a small but classy field.
Having her first start in Hobart, and carrying an equal topweight of 58kg, the 3yo filly sped straight to the front and fought off a challenge in the home straight from Press For Boom ($7.50) for a comfortable 1.25-length victory. Zany Girl ($4.80) was a distant third, blowing her chances at the start when she was slowly away.
Most of the Lady Lynette field seems likely to head to the Group 3 Mystic Journey Stakes (1200m) in Hobart in three weeks’ time, where Sanniya will be even harder to beat under the weight-for-age conditions of that race.
“53kg in the Mystic Journey, that’ll do us,” said trainer Barry Campbell with a grin after the race.
“I thought she was strong on the line, probably getting away from the second horse and holding the third horse.”
In the Geard Family Blackflash (1200m), Newitt overcame a nervous moment in the home straight for victory aboard Swift Force ($2.25 fav).
Now unbeaten from two starts, Swift Force quickly went to the front and, seemingly coasting to the line, shied abruptly around the 100m mark before winning by just over a length from Prince of Khatun ($4.80) and Geegees Missile ($4).
“She’s very new, very inexperienced, and she was doing it so easily that one of the signage shadows popped up unawares, and she caught me a bit by surprise,” said Newitt after the race.
“I’ve got no doubt there’s a very good future for this one, she’s just got to learn her craft,” Newitt said.
Newitt immediately added the Aviso TAS Insurance Brokers Summer Cup (2200m), with the Victorian-trained Bank Maur ($3.40), in another expert front-running ride.
Newitt dictated the pace for the first half of the race, then absorbed pressure as mid-race moves unfolded in the back straight. Bank Maur won by two lengths from Devonport Cup winner Asva ($8), with Wineglass Bay ($13) in third. Heavily supported favourite Ziryab ($3-$2) raced wide without cover for the trip and was a spent force before the home turn.
“The step up to 2200m suited him today. He bowled along in front, got softened up a little bit mid-race, but he was really strong through the line,” Newitt said.
Trained by Richard Laming, Bank Maur will now be aimed at next month’s $250,000 Group 3 Ladbrokes Hobart Cup (2400m), and may potentially carry top weight there, given he was the highest rated horse in the Summer Cup field.
Newitt capped a brilliant day at the office, bringing up a double for trainer John Keys with success aboard First Line ($18) in the final race of the day.
