Newitt Hoping For Andretti Honours

Jockey Craig Newitt expects Miss Andretti to make a bold bid for sprint honours at Royal Ascot next week.

The Australian raider is set to line up in the Group Two King´s Stand Stakes on Tuesday as well as the Group One Golden Jubilee Stakes four days later as she bids to emulate compatriot Choisir who won both races in 2003.

'Everything is going terrific by all reports, I will know a lot more when I get over there,' said Newitt.

'She´s fit, she´s well and she´s put on the weight she lost on the plane on the trip over.'

The Lee Freedman-trained Miss Andretti is one of a four-strong raiding party from Australia, with last year´s King´s Stand winner Takeover Target turning out again along with Bentley Biscuit and Magnus.

Miss Andretti has won Group One contests on each of her last three starts and Newitt believes the six-year-old has the quality to adapt to any racing style.

'I don´t think I´ll have to do much, the mare pretty much does it all herself,' he said.

'She puts herself on the speed. You saw last year Takeover Target, he raced on the speed and was too tough. I think she is a little bit more adaptable.

'She can race just off the speed if they go quick, she won´t be too far away from them.'

'If she produces what she has here she´ll give them a good shake for sure.

'We´ve (Australia) got four very strong representatives that will probably go around the four favourites in the race let alone the Group One race as well.

'I´m just rapt to be on one of the Australian horses over there.'

However, the enormity of the challenge and event is not lost on Newitt.

'In March I went to Dubai and rode Pompeii Ruler and it was a great experience. Dubai is probably the biggest race day of the year, but this is probably the biggest carnival of the year throughout the world,' Newitt said.

'To be on a very live chance of winning not only the Group Two but the Group One race over there is a big buzz at the moment. It´s only going to be bigger when I arrive.'

(C) PA Sport