Lees closes on special mark with Sydney Cup upset on memorable day
Craig Kerry
Newcastle trainer Kris Lees has made it 19 group 1 wins, just one behind his late father Max, with a thrilling front-running effort on the $51 Chance Change in the $2 million Sydney Cup (3200m).
Dressed in the famous colors of seven-time Melbourne Cup winner Lloyd Williams, Changeoftheguard was cleared by half a neck from Soul Of Spain after being judged excellently up front by Jason Collett. Highland Bling short neck finished third. This came after Lees won his sixth State-Midway final, this time with Lord Of Biscay.
It was the second Sydney Cup victory for Lees, who won the 2006 championship with favorites County Tyrone, inherited from Max after his death in 2003.
“It’s a great excitement to win in these colours,” Lees said.
“What a nice drive it was. I actually thought he was going too slow. He got him back to 14.” [second sectionals] – goes faster on the track most mornings. But when they came along he raised the bar and that was really pleasing.”
Lees said the addition of eyeshadows and having a dry track had helped the seven-year-old bounce back from a ninth-place finish in the Presidential Quality (2600m) last week.
“I thought he would run well on really solid ground,” he said.
“He’s getting a little bit crafty as he gets older. He looks after himself when the tracks are wet. “Last week he held back, you could see he wasn’t doing the same moves he normally does.
“We saved the eyes, we said after the Melbourne Cup, he ran a brave race in the Melbourne Cup.” [when ninth] and we said we’d save them for Sydney. “It was a good plan and I’m happy we won.”
In what was also a big day for our Novocastrian friends Australian Bloodstock, Lord Of Biscay took first place in the $1 million Provincial-Midway final to make it three titles with Lees.
Lord Of Biscay ($3.50 favourite), narrowly beaten by Matcha Latte last year, moved into the lead in the 100m under James McDonald en route to beating stablemate Imposant by three lengths. Matcha Latte came in third.
Lees and Australian Bloodstock won the State final with Spangler in 2023 and Cristal Breeze in 2021.
Saturday’s win comes after two-time Melbourne Cup winning Australian Bloodstock syndicates celebrated victory in another $1 million event, the group 2 Percy Sykes Stakes, with the Annabel and Rob Archibald-trained Cherry Bomshell.
Lees said import Lord Of Biscay was likely to head to the Tamworth Cup in two weeks to qualify for the $3 million Big Dance in November.
Trailing Medicinal by three quarters of a margin, Cherry Bomshell ($17) was making back-to-back wins over Eagle Farm.
Everest on the horizon for Tempted
Tempted furthered his claim as the best sprinter in Australia by winning the $1 million Arrowfield 3YO Sprint (1200m) in a race record time, arguably capping off his unbeaten preparations.
The Ciaron Maher-trained, Godolphin-owned filly was a notable underdog in last week’s Joliestar-winning TJ Smith Stakes and started a $1.60 favorite to win on Saturday.
Last year’s Everest runner-up, who had victories in the Eskimo Prince (1200 m) and the group 1 Environment Stakes (1400 m), came from the midfield under Chad Schofield and beat Devil Night by one and a half lengths. He stopped the clock in 1:08.0, breaking Cosmic Force’s race record of 1:08.14 set in 2019.
Godolphin racing and bloodstock manager Jason Walsh said Tempted was likely to spell magic.
Maher was expecting a new chance at the $20 million Everest in October and a rematch with Hong Kong star Ka Ying Rising.
“Everest is there, so maybe you lay it down and let it go again, but wherever you take it, it’s going to be very competitive,” Maher said.
“The thing is [Ka Ying Rising] he too seems to be recovering. Anyway, it’s a good problem.”
Smith’s Pamphlet remains unfinished
Warwick Farm trainer Matt Smith was eyeing the Stradbroke Handicap aboard Idle Flyer after overcoming disrupted preparations to win the group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m).
Smith had targeted the mare and filly race, but entered the competition early in the preparation process, worried about her fever breaking.
That didn’t matter as the four-year-old overhauled multiple group 1 winners Lady Shenandoah and Treasurethe Moment under Zac Lloyd to take a three-quarters length maiden lead.
“We had to change our plans,” Smith said of the campaign.
“We could have had another run towards today, so it was just the two of us, but that didn’t matter. I was a little worried it might happen.”
“That’s a big win. He beat some good mares there.”
Waller rates trio for Champagne Stakes
The bore could give Chris Waller a potential third contender for the group 1 Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Randwick next Saturday after the Godolphin-owned colt runs the listed Fernhill Mile in his fifth start.
The son of Brazen Beau raced off the lead before taking over the race in the 300m, beating the Tommy Berry-ridden Salaan by a length at Randwick on Saturday.
“He showed us that he would always go the mile, which gave us the confidence to move forward into this race,” Waller said.
Godolphin Australia managing director Andy Makiv said backing Diameter in group 1 for two-year-olds next week would certainly be considered.
Waller said group 1 Sires’ Products winner Campione D’Italia and Inglis Millennium champion Fireball will race in Champagne provided they gallop well on Monday.
Winter path of resurrected Beskar
Assistant trainer Anthony Freedman was considering three-year races after racing Beskar at the specified level back-to-back during the Queensland winter carnival.
Snitzel’s lead narrowly edged out Mareth to win the South Pacific Classic (1400m) on Saturday, three weeks after coming off late to win the Darby Munro (1200m) at Rosehill.
“He always showed us really good talent,” Freedman said.
“He lost his way, he needed to be castrated, and we changed a lot with him. We hardly work him out, and it works for him.”
“He can handle a long gallop, so that opens up some options for us at 14:00. He could go to Queensland for a couple of races. He’s raced fairly lightly and he’s handling that aspect, so it’s probably a logical step.”
