It was a fairy tale Newmarket Handicap 2024 result for the airborne Jamie Kah who flew home aboard the Godolphin youngster Cylinder in the time-honoured sprint to score an impressive upset.

2024 Newmarket Handicap winner Cylinder was huge late flashing home in an emotional win for jockey Jamie Kah. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

Just 12 months after missing the ride on the winning filly In Secret in the same race last year for the stable after a nasty fall in the Group 2 VRC Sires’, Kah was in the winners’ stall getting the job done aboard the James Cummings-trained three-year-old Cylinder.

Back to his best, Cylinder made it back-to-back victories for the Godolphin-raced young guns in the Group 1 $1.5 million Newmarket Handicap (1200m).

Despite getting the weight advantage in on just 51.5kg, the Exceed And Excel colt had been forgotten by the punters going around in the famous Royal Blue silks at $11.

He was second-up off a sixth when 2.5 lengths beaten fresh by superstar Kiwi mare Imperatriz at the track on February 17 in the Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m).

It was Mark Walker’s nine-time elite level champ he had to run down in the Newmarket, and that he did, Kah and Cylinder storming home down the outside over the final furlong to put a 1.25 length gap on the beaten favourite.

Imperatriz ($2.80F) lost few admirers having had the lead at the 300m before the hefty 58kg top weight, kilos not carried to victory in a Newmarket by a mare since Black Caviar (2011), got the better of her.

She held for second to Cylinder, while the Newmarket Handicap trifecta was given plenty of value by surprise third place-getter The Astrologist ($101) who ran out of his skin to cross closely behind her as a triple-figure runner for Leon & Troy Corstens.

It was The Astrologist who Kah got on the back of after things panned out perfectly for her in the race, and she was able to get the cover and trail she needed for an explosive finish.

“I wanted to be positive but have a bit of cover if I could and wanted to be behind The Astrologist and he just took us perfectly where we wanted to go and when I pushed the button he was just electric,” Kah said.

“I knew they’d be coming late but he was putting up a fight.

“He was so tough the last hundred.”

The victory capped off an emotional day for Kah who had earlier won the VRC Sires’ for the Godolphin team on Traffic Warden after nearly losing her life in the same race last autumn.

“Today is obviously a much better day for me than last year,” Kah said.

“I thought he (Cylinder) was a super chance but, that was just easy in the end for him.

“He was never in doubt.

“I don’t think I’ll get a better day than today that’s for sure.”

It was also a fitting result pedigree-wise as Cylinder’s sire, Exceed And Excel had won the Newmarket Handicap 20 years ago and was retired from stud only this week.

“It is an important race to us, really. It is with great sadness that we retired Exceed And Excel from the roster this week,” Cummings told Racing.com post-victory.

“Now we’ve got Cylinder, who is by that horse, from the family of Lonhro and he’s out of a Street Cry mare, so he’s got it all but what he didn’t yet have was a group one.

“Things just hadn’t gone his way and now he’s got the Newmarket to his name. That is a huge result for the farm, and he just had them covered a long way out.

“It’s amazing that in the same week one champion exits the stage and potentially the next potential champion stallion joins the roster.”

Adding to the emotion was the fact Kah became the first to take out the Dean Holland Trophy for the winning rider in the Newmarket.

The reward honoured the hoop who sadly lost his race in a Victorian race fall last April shortly after picking up the Newmarket Handicap ride on In Secret.

Next-up options remain open for Cylinder including an April 6 assignment at Randwick in Sydney’s Group 1 $3 million TJ Smith Stakes (1200m).

He is at $13 in pre-field 2024 TJ Smith Stakes odds online at Ladbrokes.com.au available in full here.

As for the beaten Imperatriz, she looks set to bounce back returning to weight-for-age and her beloved The Valley course for a title defence in the Group 1 $1 million William Reid Stakes (1200m) on March 23.

She already sits at an odds-on quote in William Reid Stakes 2024 odds through Ladbrokes.com.au at $1.50.

2024 Newmarket Handicap Results & Finishing Order

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

THINK. IS THIS A BET YOU REALLY WANT TO PLACE?

For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.