Caballus leads all the way, upsets Newmarket Handicap at Flemington

Caballus produced a front-running masterclass on Flemington’s Straight Six to upset the Group 1 Yulong Newmarket Handicap (1200m) and hand Craig Newitt a record-breaking fourth win in the race. The five-year-old gelding, trained by Bjorn Baker and ridden by Newitt for the first time in the Newmarket, led along the inside rail and narrowly held off Gallant Son with Angel Capital finishing third.

Race day reports consistently describe Caballus dashing to the lead from barrier one and hugging the rail, using inside track position as a decisive advantage through the straight. Margin reports vary: the majority of accounts record Caballus winning by a quarter-length, while other reports list a neck or long neck; the official race chart should be checked to confirm the precise margin. The prizemoney on offer was $2 million for the Newmarket.

Newitt, emotional after the finish, reflected on the personal milestone: "Quite emotional, actually." He added context to its significance: "10 years, 11 years probably since my last one. So, it’s been a while, but I’ve been sitting equal leader on the most amount of Newmarket wins, probably the most historic race in Australia at the moment, apart from the Melbourne Cup, especially for sprinting. To be the most winningest rider, I’m very honoured." Newitt’s previous Newmarket winners include Miss Andretti, Shamexpress and The Quarterback, and this victory makes him the sole leader on four Newmarket wins.

Connections painted a picture of a horse transformed. Caballus, by I Am Invincible out of Calming Influence, was bred by Reg Ryan and has seven wins from 20 starts with prizemoney topping $2.1 million. Syndicate Darby Racing, which "picked him up as an on-line purchase," and stable representative Luke Hilton credited the decision to geld the horse and progressive preparation under Bjorn Baker for the improvement. Hilton said: "Bjorn has done an amazing job with him and Darby (Racing), who picked him up as an on-line purchase. He did a good job as a colt, but he wasn't performing to his level. We gelded him, gave him time and he's gone from strength to strength with each preparation. The more Bjorn has been able work with him, the better he's got and he's really improved over the last six months and he's a Group 1 winner. It's a great achievement by the team." Hilton added of the draw, "We thought it (barrier one) could be with us, it could be against us."

Gallant Son, the roughie, ran on strongly to claim second while Angel Capital completed the trifecta after an on-pace run. Favourite Tentyris, carrying 57kg, finished fifth, beaten about 1.5 lengths, a result many noted as the weight proving a test at Flemington. Caballus had come into the race second-up following a runner-up finish to Joliestar in the Group 2 Expressway Stakes, a form line that looked stronger after Joliestar later prevailed in the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes.

As a new Group 1 winner for sire I Am Invincible, Caballus adds to a sireline already featuring Newmarket winners. The immediate questions for Bjorn Baker and Darby Racing are whether Caballus will be aimed at further top-level sprints this autumn and how his inside-rail speed will reshuffle betting strategies at Flemington. Official confirmation of the winner’s margin, the barrier draw and final times from the VRC chart will complete the race record.