Jockey Craig Newitt wrapped up a winning double when Floria scored a comfortable win in the Group 3 $135,000 Le Pine Funerals Summoned Stakes (1600m) at Caulfield today.
Replacement rider Craig Newitt wins the Summoned Stakes on Floria. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
Newitt took out the previous race, the Group 3 $135,000 TMB Printing Kevin Heffernan Stakes (1200m), on the Mick Price trained Lankan Rupee and only picked up the winning ride on Floria after Luke Nolen was injured earlier in day.
Floria had the form on the broad and was sent out the $2.05 favourite dropping back from Group 1 company where she finished four and a half lengths sixth to Red Tracer in the $500,000 Myer Classic (1600m) at Flemington on Derby Day.
Newitt positioned Floria midfield and the mare had trouble settling in the early stages and over raced for several hundred metres before Newitt had her calmed.
Coming into the straight Floria was cluttered up amongst horses but Newit was able to angle into the clear and the Savabeel mare worked home strongly to secure a three quarters of a length win over Hi Belle ($11) to keep the punters happy.
Winning trainer Peter Moody was relieved that Floria could finally step into the winner’s stall and said the win was well deserved.
“She’s deserved of a win and she did look a good thing on paper but we wanted to convince ourselves that she wanted to be winning too,” Moody said.
“She has never been far off them has she? She has raced with the best mares last five or six runs. She’ll probably have a little let up now and she will run through the mares’ races in the Autumn similar to what she did last year and hopefully we can snag a couple more with a bit more luck.”
Newitt heads into a busy week with the winning feeling and flies out to Singapore tonight to ride the Leticia Dragon trained Dragonfly in the Group 1 S$1.35m Longines Singapore Gold Cup (2200m) at Singapore on Sunday.
Newitt will then return to Australia and ride in Tasmania on Wednesday night and then jet over to Perth to ride Longport in the Group 1 $1m Carlton Draught – Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot next Saturday.
