Racing
Caballus wins Group 1 Yulong Newmarket Handicap: Post Race Trainer and Jockey Quotes
Trainer and jockey quotes following the Group 1 Yulong Newmarket Handicap won by Caballus at Flemington on Saturday.
Race Result:1st: Caballus (C Newitt/B Baker) - $192nd: Gallant Son (P Moody & K Coleman/M Cartwright) - $61
3rd: Angel Capital (C Waller/B Melham) - $12
Winning Time: 1:08.97 Last 600m: N/A
Margins: Long Head x 3/4L
Newmarket Handicap| Caballus
Caballus RESPONDS under pressure to lead all of the way in the 153rd Newmarket Handicap! @craig_newitt sensationally wins his fourth edition of this great race
Ch. 78/68, Foxtel 529, Kayo or via our app
REPLAYS: https://t.co/ZIa4a02wC0 pic.twitter.com/6OPzzOyso3
— Racing.com (@Racing) March 7, 2026
Winning Trainer: Bjorn Baker (Luke Hilton)
Ride going to Craig Newitt: "It's been a process this week to work out what was going to go on with Hugh (Bowman) coming (but didn't get his weight) and what were going to be the alternatives. Scott Darby was heavily involved and myself and Curtis Scott said he wanted Froggy. He does his homework and he's won four of them now, he's used to winning them and it's an amazing effort by the team to get the result today. It's huge."
Barrier 1: "We thought it could be with us, it could be against us. The way the track played earlier in the day in the sprint races they were coming down the outside and halfway through the day, Bjorn rang me and said should we go straight to the inside fence. I said, let's see what Froggy thinks, and Froggy came out and said if everyone is OK, I want to go to the inside fence. We expected everyone to go to the outside fence and thought that might have been to our advantage, but they followed us and he was too good."
Develop the horse: "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."
Winning Jockey: Craig Newitt
On the win: "Quite emotional, actually. 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."
How it unfolded: "I was very happy after I'd gone sort of 400, 500 metres. He pricked his ears, he was happy just bowling along with his own leisure. I probably opened him up a little bit earlier than what I said to the connections before the race, just so that I could get the buffer on the favourite, because I knew he'd be coming somewhere, but this bloke just held his gallop, he was challenged and he just kept responding."
On Bjorn Baker: "I'll have to get on TikTok later and watch him. He's a beauty. But I've got to thank Darby Racing, Bjorn. Obviously, Hughie was booked to ride him, the fortunes of being a lightweight rider, I was able to pick him up and yeah, just very emotional."
Beaten Jockeys:
Mark Zahra (Tentyris): "The horse ran very well, just the way the track's racing they've stayed right down near the rail. We drew out, we were around the right horses when we got out, he's in the middle of the track and nothing around him gave him some chase, the ones on the inside was just a different race."
Jamie Mott (War Machine): "He performed below what I expected. Perhaps maybe he's a bit older, he might be looking for a bit further."
Ben Melham (Angel Capital): "He was a really good run. He just took forever to sort of get going and it wasn't until the last 50 that he really hit his straps, and I felt he was just about to launch. Look, to be honest, he's probably a 1,400-metre horse now. Run really gallant, as I said, another probably 70 or 80 yards if the running stays open, he wins the race. He's a top-quality colt, and as I said, it's only a matter of time before he wins a group one."
Daniel Stackhouse (Sepals): "I thought he was fantastic, he's come back in perfect order, ready for a big prep."
Jamie Melham (Benedetta): "She was great again. A few little things went wrong, she got pressure, like Willow just said. She got bumped around a touch, and she doesn't like that. But she is going well, and I think there's another group one in there for her."
Logan Bates (De Bergerac): "He's run super. He's only got a low rating, and he acquitted himself well against some quality sprinters. He worked home steadily, and if he was in something easier, he'd be running right up the mark."
Winona Costin (Disneck): "He ran a nice honest race, just a little bit harder grade for him."
Luke Cartwright (Gallant Son): "Inches in it, but look. He was a different horse today. He was on song, just got him comfortable the first 600 metres of the race and we just wanted him to go through his gears and be strong as late as possible. I would have liked it to be an extra 50 metres because we might have got there, but it was a very tough effort from this horse and he's going places.
Lachlan Neindorf (Geegees Mistruth): "She's actually run a good race. She wanted to hold a spot early. Unfortunately, she didn't really have the toe. And that jump out to get her barrier certificate reinstated probably just knocked that sharpness off of her. But I still felt like she was strong late."
Harry Coffey (Sghirripa): "He didn't fire a shot today. He rolled along, happy near the winner, but couldn't finish off."
Craig Williams (My Gladiola): "Unfortunately, it was a forgive for her today. She's stepped up to this grade, there was no speed in the race. She overdid it earlier on. Throughout, she had pressure, race pressure from both sides, and she didn't get into any rhythm, and it really, really knocked her off her game, and then she wouldn't finish the race off."
Wayne Lordan (Wodeton): "I thought they might come to my side a little bit more. I didn't get much cover, so it wasn't ideal, but he stayed on."
Teo Nugent (Pallaton): "Had a beautiful run from the gate, was able to follow the runner up that just got beaten for second and I just feel once he was in amongst horses he really sort of relaxed underneath me. Peeled him out with 400 to go, took a while for him to wind up, but found the line really well and rapt with his efforts."
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