Racing: Victory sweetens return after long ban

Jockey Craig Newitt combined with his old master Lee Freedman for the first time since he returned from an 18-month ban to land his first Group One victory aboard Perfect Promise in the Orr Stakes at Caulfield yesterday.

Newitt was outed for lying to stewards at the Leone Chiara inquiry and only returned to riding on November 29 last year.

He has since ridden more than 20 metropolitan winners and around the same number on outer tracks.

He took out the Magic Millions Trophy at the Gold Coast last month on Tereschenko for one of his biggest supporters, Peter Moody.

"I was a little bit surprised. It was more relief. Today was a big feather in the cap," Newitt said.

Freedman said having multiple runners in the Orr, paved the way for putting Newitt back on.

"He's a nice young lad," Freedman said. "I'll keep putting him on ... as long as he doesn't tell me any lies. He's back focused and it's great to see. Let's hope he keeps going on from that."

Newitt was content to let Perfect Promise settle well back in the field as Regal Roller and Live In Vain set a break-neck speed in front, opening up a six length lead over the field.

But they had to come back to the others and it was the former South African six-year-old mare who was the strongest at the business end.

Sent out at $A11, Perfect Promise stormed home out wide to score by 1 1/2 lengths from Lad Of The Manor ($A3.10 fav) with Fields Of Omagh ($A16) a half length away third.

Perfect Promise was having her first start for Freedman, having been with Randwick trainer Graeme Begg before being sold at a Written Bloodstock fire sale.

Last season she won the Group Two Emancipation Stakes (1600m) at Randwick before running second to St Basil in the Group One Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm.

Her next start will be in the opening leg of the Asian Mile Challenge, the $A700,000 Futurity Stakes (1600m) at Caulfield on March 4.

She is in the $A1 million Australian Cup (2000m) on March 4 but hasn't won beyond 1600m.

* Connections of Nediym's Glow will weigh up whether to pay a $A55,000 late entry fee for the $A1 million Blue Diamond Stakes in a fortnight at Caulfield after her win in a prelude.

She successfully backed up from her winning race debut at Flemington the previous Saturday to make it two straight in the Group Three 1100m event for fillies.

"She's built like a 3-year-old colt and she didn't miss a beat between last week and today," trainer Mathew Ellerton said.

The filly, who is by Nediym out of Palace Music mare Palace Glow, was bred by David and Jenny Moodie.

"If she runs a second faster than the colts, she's in," Moodie quipped.

Nediym's Glow ran the 1100m trip in 1:03.4, which was a little faster than the 10:3.45 Due Sasso took to win the colts and geldings' Prelude.

Ridden by Noel Callow, Nediym's Glow ($7.50) overcame a slow start to score by a short head from Satin Robes ($7) with Anhinga ($8) finishing a length away third.

The disappointment was Jumlah ($3.90 fav), who finished seventh.

* Brian Mayfield-Smith will have his first starter in the $A1 million Blue Diamond Stakes after Due Sasso caused an upset.

Due Sasso won a 2-year-old maiden over 1100m at Ballarat on January 9 and wasn't expected to threaten the likes of highly rated colts Nadeem and Kaphero.

Sent out at $A26, the colt sat second behind Accurate Gun before racing clear at the top of the straight to score by two lengths from Wonderful World ($A6) with Swinging Bachelor ($A21) a long neck away third.

- AAP