3 minute read
It’s a new world in the west for Newcastle trainer Kris Lees with Prized Icon to be his first starter in Perth on Saturday.
Lees is chasing two $1 million races with Prized Icon at the Perth carnival, starting with Saturday’s Railway Stakes (1600m).
Prized Icon arrived safely in Perth on Monday on a special charter flight from Melbourne carrying interstate carnival entries.“Phil Burns accompanied Prized Icon and reported the horse had travelled well,” Lees said.
“Provided he races well in the Railway the plan is to also run him a fortnight later in the Kingston Town Classic.“I have never had a runner in Perth before. I am considering going over for at least one of the races.”
Melbourne jockey Ben Melham, although suspended at Sandown last Saturday, will be free to ride Prized Icon in the Railway with the dual G1 winner well treated with 54kg.“It’s a weight which gives him a definite winning chance,” Lees said. “He has been finding it tough as an older horse to win at Group One level in Sydney and Melbourne but that could easily translate to him winning a Group One in Perth.”
Prized Icon raced three times in Melbourne during the spring, the latest when a gallant fourth to Trap For Fools in the G1 Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on November 10.Lees has greeted with enthusiasm the announcement by Racing Victoria of the new $5 million All Star Mile at Flemington in March next year.
“This is something we will certainly something to give a lot of thought to with Le Romain,” Lees said.“He is spelling and looked in great order when I saw him at the weekend. He is coming back into work next Monday.”
Lees said the program chosen for champion mare Winx will determine where he goes with Le Romain in the autumn with the All Star Mile and Sydney’s George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill only a week apart.“The George Ryder is run a week after the All Star Mile so we’ll go to the race Winx doesn’t,” Lees said.
Le Romain was a gallant second to Best Of Days, conceding 5.5kg, in the G1 Kennedy Mile at Flemington on November 3; a race he won in 2016 when known as the Cantala Stakes.RAILWAY STAKES FINAL FIELD
Barrier Draw TuesdayNo Horse Age/Sex Weight Barrier Rider Trainer
1 MATERIAL MAN 7G 57.0 LUCY WARWICK JUSTIN WARWICK2 GREAT SHOT 6G 55.5 CRAIG STAPLES RHYS RADFORD
3 MAN BOOKER 6G 55.0 PAUL HARVEY DANIEL MORTON4 GATTING 5G 54.0 DAMIAN LANE DARREN MC AULIFFE
5 PRIZED ICON 5H 54.0 BEN MELHAM KRIS LEES6 MISTER SEA WOLF 7G 53.5 MICHAEL DEE CHRIS WALLER
7 PEACEFUL STATE 4H 53.5 BEN ALLEN DARREN WEIR8 ACHERNAR STAR 4G 53.0 SHAUN MCGRUDDY SIMON MILLER
9 ACTION 4G 53.0 PATRICK CARBERY GRANT & ALANA WILLIAMS10 DISPOSITION 7G 53.0 SHAUN O’DONNELL CHRIS GANGEMI
11 GALAXY STAR 6M 53.0 WILLIAM PIKE GRANT & ALANA WILLIAMS12 ICONOCLASM 4H 53.0 CRAIG WILLIAMS DARREN WEIR
13 PERFECT JEWEL 4M 53.0 CRAIG NEWITT GRANT & ALANA WILLIAMS14 STAR EXHIBIT 7G 53.0 JOSEPH AZZOPARDI ADAM DURRANT
15 WRINKLY 5G 53.0 STEVEN PARNHAM NEVILLE PARNHAM