Craig Newitt's move to Flemington is paying dividends
A business decision jockey Craig Newitt made four months ago is paying dividends.
Newitt left the sanctuary of Caulfield for Flemington where he now rides work for Chris Waller who has supplied the jockey with a number of winners in recent weeks.
“I had to change something up,” Newitt said.
“I wasn’t getting any rides out of Caulfield and Chris is going to have a lot of horses down here at spring time.
“I thought I’d change it up and it seems to have worked.”
Newitt landed a double at Flemington on May 20 aboard Zourkhan and Overstep who both step out at Flemington on Saturday.
Zourkhan runs in the Ken Cox Handicap with Overstep contesting the L V Lachal Handicap.
Newitt is expecting both to again run well.
He said Zourkhan surprised him with his first-up win last time.
“We thought it might be a little bit short and a little too firm, but he walked up,” Newitt said.
“I doubt he will be as sharp as he was the other day but he should get a similar sort of run and be hard to beat again.”
Newitt said Overstep was a filly with loads of ability but she either went flat out or settled near the tail of the field.
A last-start winner over 1200m, Overstep is back to 1000m on Saturday which Newitt doesn’t see as a problem.
“If they go quick she’ll be very strong late,” Newitt said.
“She’s the equal second highest rated horse in the race but gets some weight relief because she’s a filly and I think gets in really well.”
Newitt has rides in eight of the nine races on Saturday and not all for Flemington trainers.
But he said the switch to Flemington has had it’s bonuses.
“I might not be riding work for all the big trainers but everyone sees you there and I’m getting rides from trainers that I haven’t ridden for before,” he said.
