Craig “Froggy” Newitt’s winning ride on Immortal Love in Saturday’s H.D.F. McNeil Stakes may have been matched somewhere on the day, but it certainly wasn’t bettered.
The super fit, intensely competitive lightweight had to go to plan B when the inexperienced three year old dawdled out of the gates and was near last at the end of 100m. Newitt’s ride from that point on was a study in professional race riding.
He gave the gelding ample time to get into his rhythm and didn’t move a muscle until the point of the turn where he started to make ground between horses. He wasn’t aware that Damien Oliver on Flying Award was tracking him every step of the way.
Sweeping into the straight Craig politely “nudged” Khoekhoe out of the way to give Immortal Love a clear passage. Flying Award found room at the same time and the pair set sail after Tagaloa and Extra Time. This is where Froggy’s renowned vigour came to the fore. With next to no whip and plenty of “bustle” he coaxed the improving gelding to a slender win over Flying Award and Tagaloa with Extra Time a whisker away in fourth place.
Craig Newitt looked every bit the elite jockey as he coaxed Immortal Love to a slender win in the H.D.F. McNeil Stakes at Caulfield - courtesy Racing Photos.
Connections were in the dark about Immortal Love’s capabilities on the firm Caulfield surface. He was coming off easy wins in a maiden juvenile event at Echuca on a Soft 7, and a set weights and penalties 2YO race on a Heavy 8 at Flemington.
“He couldn’t have been much more impressive in his two wins, but for all we knew he could have been a pure wet tracker,” said Craig. “Not only is he even more effective on firm ground, but he’s obviously better than we thought. He’s gone from a Maiden to a Group 3 in three runs.”
Very few people who watched Immortal Love “bulldog” his way to victory on Saturday were aware that the promising gelding is lucky to be alive. Just two days after his birth at the Sledmere Stud in the Hunter Valley, the Snitzel colt was stricken with a colic attack which necessitated emergency surgery.
Peter Creighton, manager of the three year old’s ownership syndicate, has never forgotten the call he received from Sledmere Stud Manager Royston Murphy following the surgery. “Royston said the vets were fairly pleased with the result, but warned the colt was very vulnerable if a second operation was required,” he said. “Thankfully the obstruction cleared naturally, and the little bloke was quickly on the mend.
“Royston was amazed at his resilience and kept telling me he’d never seen a tougher foal. His observations influenced our decision to hang onto him rather than offer him at the yearling sales.”
The Snitzel colt’s courageous fight for life quickly won the affection of his twenty one owners who decided they should race him under the name of the “Never Say Die Syndicate”. Their mutual admiration for the youngster also inspired his racing name of Immortal Love.
The syndicate was brought together in 2010 by Peter and Lauren Creighton who founded United Syndications as far back as 1993. The Creightons had gone to $60,000 to secure an attractive Bel Esprit filly from the Danehill Dancer mare Beauty World at the Inglis Premier Sale.
The filly went to Peter’s regular trainer Mick Price at Caulfield. Named Loveyamadly she posted the impressive record of 6 wins and 4 placings from only 14 starts for $319,000. Four of her wins were on city tracks and included the listed Abell Stakes at Moonee Valley. She went close to snaring a Gr 3, when beaten a short head by There’s Only One in the Bellmaine Stakes at Caulfield. Loveyamadly was ridden in all six wins by Dale Smith, now riding successfully in Queensland.
Here's Immortal Love's dam Loveyamadly defeating Avoid Lightning at Flemington 21/03/2013 - Dale Smith in the saddle - courtesy Racing Photos.
Immortal Love is the third foal from Loveyamadly who’s proving herself an uncomplicated broodmare. Her first foal Classic Gaming brought $200,000 at an Inglis Easter Sale and has gone on to win three races, the most recent at Gosford just three weeks ago. Her second is Bella Amore, a full sister to Immortal Love and a Sandown winner late last year.
Loveyamadly’s fourth foal is an unraced two year old colt called Lovestoned who’s in the Natalie McCall stable on the Sunshine Coast, while her fifth is a yearling Capitalist filly who’ll go to Mick Price and Mick Kent Jnr down the track. She’s due to foal to Rubick and has already been booked to So You Think later in the Spring.
Dale Smith was all smiles after this win on Loveyamadly at Moonee Valley - courtesy Racing Photos.
Craig Newitt wasn’t overly impressed with Immortal Love early in the horse’s career. “His first two trials as a colt were very ordinary and he was gelded immediately after the second one,” said the jockey. “His first trial as a gelding wasn’t all that flash, but he was a different horse when the blinkers went on for his fourth trial. He switched on that day and hasn’t looked back since.”
This could be just the horse Craig needs to springboard him back into the upper echelon of Melbourne jockeys - a position he occupied for fourteen seasons before deciding to relocate to his native Tasmania. Three successive premiership victories on the Apple Isle justified his decision. The shock shutdown of racing by the Tasmanian Government in April, sent Newitt scurrying back to Melbourne.
Craig hoped a reputation established over fifteen years in Victoria would generate trainer support, and he hasn’t been disappointed - a reputation generated by almost 2000 career wins including a very impressive 33 at Group 1 level. All up he’s won seven jockey’s premierships, five of which were achieved in Tassie. He also won a Victorian apprentices title and a statewide Victorian premiership which saw him finish at the top of the national ladder with 185 wins.
Froggy is forever grateful for the opportunities he’s had to ride some of the best horses of his era. He adamantly declares Pompeii Ruler to be the best of the best. He won two Gr 1’s and three Gr 2’s on the gelding, and finished a close third in Fields Of Omagh’s second Cox Plate in 2006.
This is the horse Craig says is the best he's ridden - Pompeii Ruler beats dead-heaters Metal Bender and Sarrera in the 2009 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick - courtesy Steve Hart Photography.
The hard-working jockey had fifteen rides on the great sprinting mare Miss Andretti for nine wins including one on the international stage at Royal Ascot. Disappointingly the famous King’s Stand Stakes hadn’t achieved Gr 1 status at that time. Craig and the brilliant West Aussie made no bones about their five Gr 1 wins at home - Manikato Stakes, Lightning Stakes, Australia Stakes, Newmarket and the Age Classic.
Six years ago, Craig forged a wonderful association with the sprinting powerhouse Lankan Rupee who retired with the astonishing record of 29 starts for 11 wins, 9 placings and a whopping $4,129,510. Lankan Rupee and Newitt combined to win five Gr 1’s for trainer Mick Price, who’s had unwavering faith in the jockey’s ability. How fitting it was that Price and his training partner Mick Kent Jnr should combine with Froggy to win the Gr 3 on Saturday.
Craig is throwing everything into his quest to re-establish himself in one of the strongest riding strongholds in Australia. He’s riding a power of trackwork, and making himself available for the provincial and country circuit. In just over three months he’s won more than thirty races, despite the fact that he lost a few weeks having to return to Tasmania to wind up his affairs there.
Froggy’s “piece de resistance” is his ability to ride at a featherweight, while maintaining maximum strength. How many jockeys could have effortlessly made 50.5 kgs to ride Glenfiddich, third placegetter in Saturday’s Gr 1 Memsie Stakes.
He’s hoping there’ll be two or three classy three year olds in the Cox Plate, and a few realistic lightweight chances in the Cups. Craig Newitt is ready to pounce on another Group 1.
Craig in the conspicuous United Syndications colours after Saturday's win - courtesy Racing Photos.
(Banner image - It was a busy finish in Saturday's McNeil Stakes. From inside Tagaloa, Extra Time, Flying Award and Immortal Love - courtesy Racing Photos.)