Jockey Craig Newitt finally gets his chance to ride Tasmanian galloper The Inevitable in Stradbroke Handicap

Proud Tasmanian Craig Newitt has waited more than four years to ride the Apple Isle’s best galloper The Inevitable in Saturday’s $3m Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm.

La Montagna ridden by Craig Newitt wins the 2006 Stradbroke Handicap.

Jockey Craig Newitt will finally have a chance to ride Tasmania’s best galloper Saturday’s Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap four years after blowing his first opportunity.

Newitt rode The Inevitable in a trial in Hobart in February 2020 as the gelding prepared for that year’s Newmarket Handicap at Flemington.

Unfortunately the jockey got himself suspended for careless riding, costing him the ride on The Inevitable in the famous Flemington sprint.

Newitt hasn’t been able to ride the winner of more than $1.8m since but has landed the mount at the perfect time.

The Inevitable tuned up for the Stradbroke Handicap with an eye-catching effort to be beaten less than two lengths in the Group 3 BRC Sprint at Doomben.

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Newitt was thrilled to note The Inevitable dropped 6kg from 59kg to 53kg in the Stradbroke.

“He’s going all right,” Newitt said.

We're counting down our top 3 UBET Stradbroke Handicap moments and to finish off we've got a great Queensland moment! La Montagna's run in 2006 had everything, with her win the last victory by a filly in the race! You can watch all our moments HERE: https://t.co/x9KroC7e1Mpic.twitter.com/hYmNMLCXlB

— The Word (@theword) June 8, 2018

“His run the other day was almost as good as his All-Star Mile run when he ran third.

“He went enormous at Doomben. He drops 6kg and I can’t recall the horse ever carrying that low a weight. He won’t know himself. He’s only got to reproduce that run at Doomben and he’ll be in the finish.”

Newitt won the 2006 Stradbroke Handicap aboard three-year-old filly La Montagna.

The 33-time Group 1 winner got down to 48.5kg to ride La Montagna after seeing her lead-up run in the Doomben 10,000.

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Tasmanian galloper The Inevitable is an $18 chance in early betting on Saturday’s Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap. Picture: Getty Images.

“I think that was the lightest I’ve ever ridden the day I rode her. There’d be no chance I could ride 48.5kg,” Newitt said.

“Straight after her Doomben 10,000 run, I drove Barry Baldwin mad to get the ride on her because I thought she just set up perfectly for the Stradbroke.”

Newitt said he saw common factors between La Montagna and The Inevitable, particularly with their racing styles.

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“The Inevitable is similar to La Montagna,” Newitt said.

“He’s probably not coming out of the top form race but he’s very similar.

Craig Newitt after winning the Stradbroke Handicap on La Montagna.

“He gets back, runs on and he’s going over the road to a bigger track, a track that suits run-on horses, not like Doomben. I can’t see him not being in the finish.”

Newitt hoped for a middle draw for the John Keys-trained The Inevitable.

TAB assessed The Inevitable as an $18 chance in its pre-draw market on the $3m Stradbroke.

Local galloper Antino shares favouritism at $7 with the heavily-backed Vilana.

Victorian gelding Amenable is an $8 chance while multiple Group 1 winner Bella Nipotina is a $9 shot along with Stefi Magnetica.

Originally published as Jockey Craig Newitt finally gets his chance to ride Tasmanian galloper The Inevitable in Stradbroke Handicap