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Prized Icon Back On The Group One Train

3 minute read

Trainer Kris Lees believes Saturday’s $1 million Railway Stakes in Perth offers Prized Icon a great opportunity to add a third Group One win to his record.

Prized Icon has been winless for two years since his second G1 triumph in the Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington in the spring of 2016.

“I know Prized Icon has been out of the winning list for a long time, but he’s in the right grade at Ascot,” Lees said.

“With 54kg, he is well placed for a dual Group 1 winner. I’m expecting him to run well.”

Prized Icon
Prized Icon Picture: Racing and Sports

Prized Icon is the first horse Lees has sent to Perth. The five-year-old stallion arrived in Perth on Monday and according to the trainer has settled in well.

“Naturally, we haven’t done a lot with him this week but he had a look at the course proper at Ascot on Wednesday,” Lees said.

Provided Prized Icon races up to expectations in the Railway he will stay on for a shot at the G1 Kingston Town Classic (1800m) at Ascot on December 8.

Lees will have runners at Ascot, Doomben, Rosehill and Gosford on Saturday and Goulburn on Sunday.

He has sent Just Dreaming to Queensland for the Listed Tattersall’s Recognition Stakes (1350m) at Doomben with Michael Cahill her rider and the mare to race without a tongue tie.

“I’ve had it on her for a couple of runs and it hasn’t made any difference,” he explained.

Just Dreaming has a splendid record of six wins and seven placings from 21 starts but Lees has some lingering doubts about her latest second-up performance when seventh to Torgersen over 1400m at Randwick on October 27 as an odds-on favorite.

She did not perform up to her previous outstanding second-up record even though beaten only one and a half lengths.

“I just don’t know about that run,” Lees said. “If she found her best form, she would be hard to beat in a race such as the Recognition Stakes.”

Lees is targeting Sunday’s $150,000 Goulburn Cup (1600m) with two acceptors.

Karavali (Jay Ford) is a definite starter unless the track is too firm and he is leaning toward running Articus (Andrew Gibbons) instead of a start over 1800m at Rosehill on Saturday.

Articus hasn’t raced since an excellent second to Mahalangur over 1400m at Randwick on October 20.

Lees also has last start Rosehill winner Turnberry set to start at Gosford on Saturday in a heat of the Spring Provincial Series.

Turnberry is also an acceptor for the BM 78 Handicap (1500m) at Rosehill but Lees favours dodging the metropolitan race.

The promising four-year-old, who won the Grafton Guineas (1600m) in July before a break, turned in a splendid performance when resuming to overcome a wide run and win over 1400m at Rosehill on November 10.

He has drawn awkwardly in 12 out of 15 in Saturday’s Rosehill race but has to face only eight rivals in the final $50,000 heat of the Spring Provincial Series over 1600m.

“I’m sure he can be very competitive at Gosford, and the final at Kembla Grange on Saturday week is worth $150,000,” Lees said.

The first three placegetters in the concluding heat at Gosford clinch starts in the final. Lees already has qualified High Power, courtesy of his Newcastle victory in the fourth heat last Sunday.

With Turnberry and Articus expected to be absentees Lees will be left with three Rosehill runners on Saturday - Star Reflection, Kool Vinnie and Zip A Dee Doo Dah.

Zip A Dee Doo Dah came Lees from Singapore via a break in New Zealand and won the Kempsey Cup (1450m) last time out at only his second start for the stable.

A Newcastle treble on Wednesday lifted Lees’ tally of winners to 75 after just four months of the new season with his runners earning $5.5 million, putting him well ahead of his money record in past seasons.

His best prizemoney season was just over $9 million in 2016-17 when his major wins included the $4 milion Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick with Lucia Valentina


Racing and Sports

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