KUALA LUMPUR:  Jun 7, 2014

Australian jockey Craig Newitt took Malaysian racing by storm when he booted home a treble, including one leg of the International Jockeys Challenge at Sungei Besi here today.

Newitt, 29, who has ridden 26 Group 1 winners in his career, made three guest appearances in Singapore without success: the International Cup in 2009 and the Gold Cup in the past two years.

But his first visit to Malaysia was a resounding success.

In the first challenge race, he brought RUSHEY GREEN from the rear to win the Hong Kong Jockey Club Trophy.

Riding the second favourite in the race, the Aussie found himself second last on the rails till the home turn. He eased his mount out slowly at the top of the straight, then challenged for the lead 200m out.

There was a line of four horses vying for the lead at one stage but RUSHEY GREEN did best in the rune home to win by one and a quarter lengths.

Newitt also won the Royal Turf Club of Thailand Trophy on LITTLE MAN and the Royal Sabah Turf Club Trophy on CHARLY B.

Indian rider Imran Chisty shared the first day lead with Newitt after winning the other challenge race, the Perak Turf Club Trophy on outsider BRING MORE MONEY.

Settling in third spot on the rails, he waited and waited and found an opening between the two leaders ZAFONIC and LONGMA at the 250m and darted through, then held off the favourite TRAVETINE to win by one length.

Chisty rode for some time in Malaysia in 2008, winning two races. But this time he has matched the haul in just one day. He went on to win the New Zealand Bloodstock Trophy on CERIUM.

Three more challenge races will be run tomorrow. The winning rider receives 12 points, while seven points, four points and one point are alloted to the second, third and fourth placed riders.

At the end of the five-race series, the winning jockey will receive RM20,000 cash prize and a trophy. The runner-up and third-placed jockey will receive RM5,000 and RM2,000 respectively.