Leading Melbourne hoop Craig Newitt has been booked to ride Danger Close in the 2014 Doveton Stakes and he is confident that the promising gelding will hit the line strongly in the Listed event at Sandown tomorrow.
Craig Newitt has been booked to ride Danger Close in the Doveton Stakes at Sandown on Saturday. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Danger Close started his summer preparation with a fast-finishing third in a heat of the 55 Second Challenge (955m) at Moonee Valley on November 14 and the form coming out of that race has been strong; with winner Let’s Rock ‘N’ Roll and runner-up Kaiser Sun both running well in the Tony Beddison Cup (1000m) last weekend.
Newitt admits that Danger Close will be giving his rivals a start in the Doveton Stakes, but he told Racing Ahead that he believes the Written Tycoon gelding will be flying home late and can record another race win over the highly-rated Lord Of The Sky after beating him in the Auckland Racing Club Handicap (1000m) at Flemington earlier this year.
“He is a beauty of a horse,” Newitt said.
“He is really genuine and he is improving all the time.
“I think we worked out the key to him last preparation, which is to keep him to 1000 metres where there is really good speed.
“At some stage he will be giving them a fair start, but he will be very strong late.
“He beat Lord Of The Sky earlier in the year and he meets him nine kilos better.
“I am thinking that he is my best ride of the weekend.”
Newitt has three rides at Sandown on Saturday and they will be his final rides in Australia before he heads to Singapore to begin preparations for his riding stint in the popular racing jurisdiction this year.
The popular jockey does not start his riding contract in Singapore until the start of 2015, but is looking forward to getting his family settled in the new environment before he starts the next phase of his riding career.
“We are going just to get settled in and have a good look at the city before we knuckle down and get into full swing,” Newitt said.
“Everyone is going so it will be a new chapter in our life and something that we are looking forward to.
“It is a great place, the racing is great and they only race twice a week, which means I will be able to spend a lot more time with my family which I am not able to do here.”
Danger Close has been the best backed runner in 2014 Doveton Stakes betting markets and is into a quote of $8 after being available at odds of up to $14 when the final field was released on Wednesday.
