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Newcastle trainer Kris Lees will have two runners in Saturday’s $600,000 Queensland Derby at Doomben after deciding to give Turnberry his chance in the classic with stablemate Banner Season.

Turnberry made the cut of 16 for the Derby following trainer Chris Waller’s decision to skip the race with Queensland Oaks runner-up Another Dollar.

Banner Season and Turnberry are both outsiders in the betting but Lees has been able to secure the services of two of Brisbane’s leading jockeys Jeff Lloyd and Damian Browne for his pair.

“Jeff Lloyd will ride Banner Season and Damian Browne has been booked for Turnberry,” Lees said.

Banner Season, with Lloyd aboard, earned sufficient prizemoney to ensure a start in the Derby when successful over 2200m at Ipswich last Wednesday.

Since Lees opted to put blinkers on the gelding, he has been successful at his last two starts.

Banner Season romped home by nearly six lengths over 1850m at Newcastle on May 19 before carrying 58kg topweight at Ipswich.

Turnberry finished fourth behind Derby favorite Live And Free over 2000m against his own age at Randwick on May 26.

He was previously runner-up to Kurnel Jaxon over 1600m at Warwick Farm on May 16.

The last Lees-trained runner in a Queensland Derby was Admiral Jello, who finished ninth to Eagle Way in 2016 when the classic was run over 2400m at its traditional home at Eagle Farm.

He was unlucky not to have won the 2005 edition with the filly Vitesse Dane, who finished third to Lachlan River when she took on the colts after beating her own sex a week earlier in the Queensland Oaks.

Banner Season has been stabled at the Gold Coast while Turnberry and stablemate Invincible Gem, who will be ridden by Brenton Avdulla in Saturday’s $1.5 million Stradbroke Handicap, will go by road from Newcastle on Wednesday night.

Lees is delighted with Invincible Gem’s progress since her luckless third to Osborne Bulls in the Listed Luskin Star Stakes (1300m) at the Scone carnival on May 12.

“She will have her final gallop on the course proper at Newcastle on Wednesday morning,” Lees said.