Pick-up ride gives Newitt fourth Group 1 Newmarket Handicap win

MELBOURNE – Jockey Craig Newitt has turned back the clock when he guided Sydney visitor Caballus to an upset win in the A$2 million (S$1.79 million) Group 1 Newmarket Handicap at Flemington on March 7.

Nicknamed “Froggy”, the Australian hoop’s triumph in the famous sprint down the Flemington straight 1,200m course was his first at Group 1 level since 2016 when Extreme Choice won the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1,000m) at Moonee Valley.

Earlier that year, Newitt teamed with The Quarterback to win his third Newmarket Handicap, one of 34 wins he has scored at the highest level.

With his fourth victory on Saturday, Newitt went one clear as the jockey with the most victories in the Newmarket Handicap, having also won previously atop Miss Andretti (2007) and Shamexpress (2013).

Jumping straight to the lead and heading on the inside fence, Caballus ($116) held off a determined Gallant Son (Luke Cartwright) by a long head, with Angel Capital (Ben Melham) a further ¾ length away in third.

Newitt, who rode in Singapore in 2015, was quite emotional after his first success at Group 1 level after a 10-year absence.

“It’s been a while, but I’ve been sitting equal leader on the most amount of Newmarket wins, probably the most historic races in Australia at the moment, apart from the Melbourne Cup, especially for sprinting,” he said.

“To be the winningest rider, I’m very honoured.

“I was very happy after I’d gone 400, 500m. He pricked his ears; he was happy just bowling along at his own leisure.

“I probably opened him up a little bit earlier than what I said to the connections before the race, just so that I could get the buffer on the favourite (Tentyris) because I knew he’d be coming somewhere, but this bloke just held his gallop.

“He was challenged and just kept responding.”

Newitt thanked the owners Darby Racing for the ride after the Hong Kong-based Hugh Bowman could not make the 55kg on the I Am Invincible five-year-old.

“The fortunes of being a lightweight rider,” said Newitt.

“I was able to pick him up and yeah, (I’m) just very emotional.”

Caballus started his career with Sydney premier trainer Chris Waller before being purchased by Darby Racing and transferring to Bjorn Baker.

Luke Hilton, racing manager for Baker, said the decision to geld Caballus was the making of the sprinter.

“Bjorn has done an amazing job with him and Darby (Racing), who picked him up as an online purchase,” said Hilton.

“He did a good job as a colt, but he wasn’t performing to his level, so we gelded him, gave him time and he’s gone from strength to strength with each preparation.

“The more Bjorn has been able to work with him, the better he’s got and he’s really improved over the last six months and he’s a Group 1 winner now. It’s a great achievement by the team.”

Two races earlier, champion jockey Craig Williams and Tom Kitten toughed out a gritty win in the A$2 million Group 1 All-Star Mile (1,600m).

A son of Harry Angel, Tom Kitten has become the first horse to go back-to-back in the All-Star Mile.

The Godolphin galloper won the feature in 2025, his first at Group 1 level, when prepared by James Cummings while Saturday’s victory came after a stable change at the beginning of the season when the five-year-old was transferred under the care of Anthony and Sam Freedman.

Not letting the favourite Pride Of Jenni (Declan Bates) out of his sights, Tom Kitten ($18) had to pull out all stops under Williams to get up by a short neck from Evaporate (Luke Currie), with the Ciaron Maher-trained favourite another head away in third.

Tom Kitten is unbeaten in two autumn starts after resuming with a win in the Group 3 Kevin Heffernan Stakes (1,400m) at Caulfield on Feb 7.

Resisting the temptation of tackling the Group 1 Futurity Stakes over the same course and distance on Feb 21, the Freedman father-and-son team elected to go into the All-Star Mile on the fresh side via a trial at Caulfield Heath in February.

Sam Freedman described Tom Kitten as a remarkable galloper after a spring campaign that went awry. The eight-time winner was a late scratching at the barriers in the 2025 Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1,400m).

“He’s been to the top for a long time and we’ve been blessed to get him into the stable in the last eight or nine months,” he said.

“We were disappointed with the spring we had with him. We felt he was going well, but we were chasing our tail, but this prep, I don’t know what it is.

“I rang dad this morning and said he’s a different horse. He looks amazing, he’s holding more condition, he’s racing heavier than he was in the spring.

“Sometimes, you are a victim when horses change yards. They go on a different feed and a few changes can happen pretty quickly. He’s now in a nice routine at Pinecliff and gets out into a paddock during the day.

“He’s a remarkable horse and turns up every time.”

While the Group 1 Australian Cup (2,000m) on March 28 would seem the logical next step for Tom Kitten, Freedman said the Group 1 Doncaster Handicap (1,600m) at Randwick on April 4 may be the preferred option.

“I feel he’s best fresh at a mile. We might see him in the Doncaster more likely than the Australian Cup,” he said.

“He might grind away late like he wants the 2,000m, but he likes a strong tempo where he can sit back and stalk them.

“We’ll have a chat as he’s also entered in Dubai and Hong Kong, so there’s plenty of options for him.

“The beauty of him is he’s an easy horse to work with.”

It was Williams’ first win in the All-Star Mile, a race that dates back to 2019.

He had finished second in the previous two years aboard Mr Brightside, behind Tom Kitten in 2025 and Pride Of Jenni in 2024.

Williams was on the sidelines with injury when Mr Brightside won in 2023.

“This horse beat me last year in this race on Mr Brightside and because we haven’t got Mr Brightside now, ‘if you can’t beat them, join them’ I thought,” he said.

“He’s just a big, strong individual and he knows it. He’s content and we saw it today under race pressure.” SKY RACING WORLD