Expecting mum wins Starlight Stakes

Invictus Salute capped a golden day for both jockey Rachel King and trainer Mark Newnham by winning the Listed Starlight Stakes at Rosehill Gardens.

Invictus Salute ($6.50) got the right runs in the straight to defeat race leader Spaceboy ($10) by a short neck with Viridine ($5.50) a further three quarters of a length back in third.

The victory gave King her fourth win of the day and she also recorded three placings.

Newnham picked up his second stakes win for the day, having trained Greysful Glamour to take out the ATC Cup.

“That was really satisfying,” Newnham said.

“A bit like Greysful (Glamour), a couple of mares I’ve had pretty much since I started training.”

“To have them both win stakes races on the same day is very, very satisfying.”

Newnham was full of praise for King, a jockey he has had a long and successful association with.

“Rachel’s a very good rider,” Newnham said.

“She got on the right horses today, gave them the right rides and that’s what you expect from her.”

The win will be the last for Invictus Salute, as the five-year-old mare is in foal to boom stallion I Am Invincible.

“That’ll probably be her last start now,” Newnham said.

“She’s in foal to I Am Invincible so we’ve added value to her and her offspring.

“She’s carrying some valuable cargo there, a really good performance from horse and rider, everything worked out for her,” he said.