Niwot Earns Coveted Melbourne Cup Spot For Hawkes’ Stable

Niwot

Niwot has earned a start in the Melbourne Cup with a win in the Lexus Stakes

Seven-year-old Niwot has demonstrated his superior staying abilities by winning The Lexus Stakesat Flemington today.

The win has earned the lightly raced Galileo gelding a guaranteed start in the $6.2 million Melbourne Cup next Tuesday.

Niwot looked the unlikely winner coming into the home turn but was able to overtake the leaders in the final straight to win the race ahead of Macedonian and Anudjawun.

Winning jockey Dean Yendall was thrilled to secure his first ever ride in the Melbourne Cup.

“This I what it’s all about,” Yendall said.

“We bounced out and had a lovely run in transit.

“I thought I’d make a move and he put them away easy.”

Despite his triumph, Yendall’s thoughts were with all the jockeys who had suffered injuries as a result of race falls throughout the years.

“All my thoughts go out to all the boys that (will be) injured throughout the coming years and (have been injured in) past years,” he said.

Niwot will also be co-trainer Wayne Hawkes’ only Melbourne Cup runner this year.

“His record at Flemington is exceptional,” Hawkes said of Niwot.

“I won’t mind if it pours with rain (on Tuesday).

“This bloke loves the wet.

“This bloke is no Maluckyday.

“He’s just a tradesman racehorse.”

A Melbourne Cup win would be the perfect ending to a fairy-tale story that saw Niwot recover from a seemingly career-ending knee injury.

“He smashed his knee a couple of years ago,” Hawkes said.

“It’s going to be quite a good little story if he does something on Tuesday.”

Finish No. Horse Jockey Trainer Weight Margin
1st 5 NIWOT(7) Dean Yendall Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes 55.0 2-37.53
2nd 11 MACEDONIAN(4) Luke Nolen Peter G Moody 53.5 3.0L
3rd 14 ANUDJAWUN(10) Corey Brown Shaun Dwyer 53.5 5.3L
4th 9 RAFFAELLO(9) Nikita McLean Patrick F Ryan 53.5 7.8L
5th 10 SHOWCAUSE(5) Craig Newitt Frank Ritchie 53.5 9.5L
6th 15 REPRISAL(3) Brenton Avdulla David Hayes 53.5 9.7L
7th 13 SPECHENKA(1) Danny Nikolic Ben Ahrens 53.5 10.1L
8th 6 TACTIC(8) Brett Prebble David Hayes 55.0 11.1L
9th 2 BOOMING(2) Dwayne Dunn Jeff Lynds 56.5 12.1L
10th 8 GALIZANI(13) Timothy Bell John P Thompson 53.5 12.9L
11th 7 OLDER THAN TIME(12) Craig Williams Gai Waterhouse 54.0 13.1L
12th 3 GREEN MOON(6) Nicholas Hall Robert Hickmott 56.0 21.1L
13th 12 MIDNIGHT MARTINI(11) Michael Rodd Mark Kavanagh 54.0 51.1L
Src 1 TULLAMORE Nash Rawiller Gai Waterhouse
Src 4 MOYENNE CORNICHE Mark Zahra Brian Ellison
Src 16 HOME ON A WING Kerrin McEvoy Anthony Cummings

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