Craig Newitt moved to 98 winners so far this season when Flyingconi won The Flying Doctor Plate at Flemington.
Newitt is the leading jockey in Victoria less than six months into the season with 92 winners while his other six successes have been in Tasmania.
He is 20 ahead of nearest rival Dean Yendall in the statewide premiership.
The 26-year-old is chasing his fifth century in the past six seasons and would love to achieve it in his home state where he has 10 rides at the Hobart Guineas meeting on Sunday.
The win on Flyingconi placed Newitt (31 wins) only one behind Melbourne premiership leader Luke Nolen.
Newitt said he would be keen to chase Brad Rawiller’s Victorian record of 214 wins set in 2007/08 if he was still on target with two months to go.
He rode 132 winners in Victoria last season.
Flyingconi is 31-year-old trainer Shea Eden’s best horse having won four of his eight starts including two at Flemington.
Eden, who recently bought a yearling half-sister to Flyingconi, spent the first two years training at the picnics and has only been on the professional circuit for just over a year.
“It’s a big transition but I’d recommend to any young trainer to go to the picnics because I learned a lot there from my mistakes and it was the makings of where I am today I believe,” he said.
“How to analyse a race is one of the most important things I learned.”
Eden, who works his horses at Corinella on Westernport Bay, has now won three city races having scored with Princess Fontaine at Sandown last September and with Flyingconi at Flemington on January 2.
AAP TURF
