Tasmania has prevailed in the fourth TAB Origin Jockey Series at Doomben this weekend, holding off some of Australia’s best riders over two exhilarating days of racing.
Tasmania led the field coming into the fifth and final leg of the series, with Craig Newitt securing a series double aboard Cabin Fever (Friday) and Sofie’s Gold Class (Saturday).
Newitt has scaled the lofty heights of Group 1 success on more than 30 occasions but said he got a real kick out of representing his state.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to have a lot of things go good in my riding career but there’s no better feeling than to go back home and represent where I’m from and put them in front today,” Newitt said.
Queensland remains winless in the series after four years of trying, despite the best of efforts from Matthew McGillivray who won aboard Surprise Bullet on Friday and series veteran Jim Byrne.
However, Queensland walks away from the series having raised $7000 for the National Jockey’s Trust, with Tabcorp and Racing Queensland donating $500 for every point the maroons scored in the series.
The NJT has been assisting jockeys and their families since 2004 and is a charitable trust dedicated to providing funds and other benefits for the relief or financial difficulties jockeys may face.