A strong book of feature race rides headed by Oakleigh Plate favourite Lankan Rupee has Craig Newitt confident he can make an impact on Blue Diamond Stakes day.
Newitt’s Caulfield book also includes the Chris Waller-trained Sizzling in the Group One Futurity Stakes and stablemate Foreteller who is shooting for back-to-back wins in the Group Two Peter Young Stakes.
Foreteller, Craig Newitt - Photo by Sharon Chapman
Stratum Star is at long odds in the $1 million Blue Diamond (1200m) and while Newitt believes the colt will be better over further, he expects him to hit the line strongly if they go hard.
“I’ve got some good rides and hopefully they come to the fore on Saturday,” Newitt said.
Lankan Rupee was a dominant winner of the Group Two Rubiton Stakes (1100m) over the Oakleigh Plate course last start and Newitt is adamant the gelding is continuing to get better.
“He’s the one they’ve got to beat,” he said.
Foreteller won the Group One Makybe Diva second-up last spring and Newitt took plenty of encouragement out of the import’s first-up fourth in the CF Orr Stakes.
Foreteller finished less than four lengths from the winner Moment Of Change and his opposition in defence of the Peter Young Stakes includes resuming Melbourne Cup winner Fiorente who is the $2.10 favourite.
“I reckon he’s going better this year than what he was last year,” Newitt said of Foreteller.
“He was a bit big in condition first-up. We only gave him one trial and the way the race was run it stretched them out a fair way from home and I thought he might have knocked up. But the further they went the stronger he got.”
Waller elected to send four-year-old Sizzling, a first-up minor placegetter in the Expressway Stakes, south for the Futurity rather than run in the Apollo Stakes in Sydney.
Sydney’s premier trainer says the entire has impressed working the Melbourne way at Rosehill and Newitt is looking forward to riding him for the first time.
“His run was great in Sydney first-up and the small field is going to suit him,” he said.
“He’ll balance up and be very strong late.”
