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Pivotal Weekend For Kris Lees

3 minute read

Trainer Kris Lees is facing a pivotal weekend that will resolve where he is heading with exciting prospects Miss Fabulass, Gem Song, Smart Melody and El Dorado Dreaming.

Lees is confident Miss Fabulass will emulate her famous dam Samantha Miss by clinching her first Group One win at Randwick in the $500,000 Flight Stakes.

She is a short-priced favourite but he isn’t going as far as believing she is “over the line” as he did with Samantha Miss in 2008.

Miss Fabulass
Miss Fabulass Picture: Racing and Sports

“I think Miss Fabulass can win but I thought Samantha Miss was unbeatable,” Lees said.

“She had already won a Group 1 over the mile at Randwick in the Champagne Stakes as a two-year-old and then won all three legs of the Princess Series as an early-three-year-old leading into the Flight. She won easily.”

Frankel filly Miss Fabulass (Kerrin McEvoy) won’t start at the same $1.55 odds as Samantha Miss but is nonetheless a dominant favorite to become a G1 heroine at only her fifth start.

“Miss Fabulass has trained on really well since winning the Tea Rose Stakes at Randwick a fortnight ago,” Lees said.

“She is perfectly drawn going up to the mile and I’m sure she will be hard to beat.”

Lees has not committed Miss Fabulass to continuing on to Melbourne as he did with Samantha Miss, but hasn’t ruled it out either.

“It’s probably more likely that she won’t go to Melbourne, but we’ll see after Saturday,” he said.

Lees is enthusiastic about the progress Gem of Song after he overcame difficulties under 59.5kg to win over 1300m at Rosehill last Saturday for his third win from four starts.

Gem Song backs up in the Listed Dulcify Quality (1600m) at Randwick with a G1 opportunity beckoning on October 13 in the $2 million Caulfield Guineas (1600m).

“I’ve got no problem at all backing him up,” Lees said. “He is ready for the 1600m now and just needs a bit of luck from the draw,” Lees said. “I’m confident he will be hard to beat.”

Gem Song
Gem Song Picture: Mark Evans/Getty Images

On Sunday unbeaten filly Smart Melody tackles 1400m for the first time at Caulfield as her Thousand Guineas aspirations go on the line.

Lees isn’t concerned about her coping with the extra distance but he is holding off committing her to a Guineas start over 1600m on October 13 until after Sunday’s G2 Thousand Guineas Prelude.

He holds a strong hand with recent stable arrival El Dorado Dreaming having her first start under his care.

Smart Melody made it four wins from as many starts with an impressive Melbourne debut on the straight 1100m course at Flemington on September 15 and has trained on strongly at Caulfield where she is stabled.

“I’m confident she will handle the 1400m but not sure yet about stretching her out to 1600m,” Lees said.

“Her performance in the Prelude will tell us if we should procced to the Thousand Guineas.”

Lees is looking forward to starting G1 winner El Dorado Dreaming for the first time under his banner.

“She trialled really well at home before being sent to Melbourne last weekend and has settled in well. Her work has been satisfactory,” he said.

“There is no doubt she will be better for this first-up run. Nonetheless, she is a quality filly.”

El Dorado Dreaming wil be reuinited with Damien Lane, who rode the filly when she stormed down the outside to snare the G1 ATC Sires Produce Stakes (1400m) at Randwick in April as a maiden at triple figure odds.

She proved that victory was no fluke by backing up a fortnight later to finish a luckless third in the G1 Champagne Stakes (1600m) at the same track.

El Dorado Dreaming narrowly beat her top class stablemate In Her Time in a 1000m trial on the Beaumont track on September 19 before heading south.

El Dorado Dreaming
El Dorado Dreaming Picture: Steve Hart


Racing and Sports

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