Mare breaks duck at last
Champion jockey gets job done in shadows of post
TRAINER Barry Campbell has been trying to win a race with Rosover for three preparations without success.
But a last-resort decision to book Craig Newitt to ride the mare in a maiden over 1200m at the Luxbet Racing Centre in Launceston last night proved to be a winning move.
The Mick Burles-trained Clean Acheeva ($5.50) looked set to notch her maiden win, but when Newitt went to work on his charge 100m out the mare dug deep and rattled home along the rails to grab victory in the last stride.
Rosover opened at $4.80 but blew like the north wind to start at the luxury price of $11.
“I was just about at my wits end with this mare because she has shown me so much but has failed on race days and tonight it took every bit of Craig’s [Newitt] ability and vigour to get the result,” Campbell said.
“Maybe she appreciated being back on turf because all her recent form has been on the Devonport synthetic.
“Who knows, maybe she will keep on winning now that’s she’s won her maiden?” BRIGHTON trainer Gary White was making his way back from the Gold Coast last night when new stable tenant Lad die and the rocket scored an impressive all-the-way win in the Luxbet Class 1 Handicap over 1200m.
Lad die and the rocket was having his second start for the White stable with his first a fifth of six on the synthetic in Devonport after which the trainer suggested to the owners he might be better suited on turf.
Stable foreman David Moor said the Hard Spun gelding had worked brilliantly leading up to the race and expected a forward showing.
“I know it’s easy to say after the horse has won, but we did expect him to run very well tonight based on his work,” Moor said.
“I think there is a bit of scope with the horse and he will probably be even better when he gets out a bit in distance.”