Newgart causes an upset in Thomas Lyons beating Mystic Journey
Newgart (5 g ex Jesting by Commands) caused an upset in the Thomas Lyons Stakes (Listed, 1400m) at Hobart on Sunday when he scored a three and a three quarter length victory over short-priced favourite Mystic Journey (Needs Further). In winning the Listed contest, Newgart provided his Sun Stud-based sire Fighting Sun (Northern Meteor) with his second stakes winner.
Raced by Star Thoroughbreds and trained by Leanne Gaffney, Newgart was asked to quicken on straightening and he responded well to pull right away in the closing stages, posting an impressive victory under Craig Newitt.
"I just love everything there could be to like about this horse. He is just one of a kind," Gaffney told Tasracing.com.au.
"When he won first-up in Launceston over 1400 metres I knew then that he was in for a good season and he had continued to perform well at the top level.
"Today he came up against out champion mare Mystic Journey and to come away with a win is absolutely amazing.
"I want to thank Denise Martin from Star Thoroughbreds for giving me the opportunity to train the Star horses over the past 18 months and hopefully we have more wins to come."
Newgart was bought for $60,000 by Star Thoroughbreds and Paul Willetts at the 2017 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale from the Fairways Bloodstock draft and took his race record to seven wins from 14 career starts with his earnings now totalling over $250,000.
Fighting Sun has sired 97 winners from 198 runners with Listed winner Chess Star his other stakes winner. He has also sired six stakes placegetters in Roccabascerana, Gulf Of Suez, Entrapped, Platinum Mam’selle, Miss Inbetween and Celestial Sol.
Mystic Journey’s trainer Adam Trinder had decided to keep the Group 1-winning five-year-old mare, who currently sits in 15th position in the All-Star Mile (1600m) voting, in Tasmania instead of going to Melbourne for Saturday’s CF Orr Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m).
