Craig Newitt’s vigorous left-handed riding style has delivered Psychologist an overdue success in the Group Three Geoffrey Bellmaine Stakes at Caulfield.
Trainer Tony Vasil was running out of options to get the former top juvenile back to winning form but Newitt got the best out the four-year-old, bringing her home from second last in Saturday’s 1200-metre sprint.
The widest runner in the straight, the mare raced clear in the last 100 metres to score by 1-3/4 lengths from Slow The Flow and Let’s Be Happy.
“He (Newitt) is a different style of rider to those who have been riding her and we were hoping that would make a difference,” Vasil said.
Newitt said the race was never in doubt.
“As soon as she turned for home she was never going to get beaten,” Newitt said.
Psychologist has won four of her 16 starts but was on an eight-race losing streak before Saturday’s win with her last success at Caulfield in March last year.
As a two-year-old she looked a star in the making winning a Blue Diamond Prelude by more than four lengths at her race debut and finishing fifth to Star Witness in the Blue Diamond Stakes at her second start.
“Initially she looked like she was going to be a very good horse but she but had a few niggling issues along the way which we have tried to help her through,” Vasil said.
“Winning another stakes race today has consolidated her as a broodmare in the future but she’s a fair way off going to a stallion next spring so hopefully between now and then we can win a few more.”