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Trainer Kris Lees believes the class of his imported stayer Red Cardinal poses a big threat to his favouired stablemate Our Candidate in today's $200,000 Newcastle Gold Cup.

Aiming to clinch a breakthrough in his hometown Cup, Lees has confirmed five horses – all raced by Australian Bloodstock and their owners – will represent him in the Group 3 feature over 2300m at Broadmeadow.

He accepted with seven horses but has decided that Big Duke and Doukhan will go to Randwick on Saturday for the G3 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m), leaving him with Our Candidate (Brenton Avdulla), Red Cardinal (Nash Rawiller), Saunter Boy (Robbie Dolan), Attention Run (Kerrin McEvoy) and Mongolian Wolf as his Newcastle Cup runners.

First emergency Attention Run secured a start after Kiwi stayer Sir Charles Road was withdrawn to also be saved for Saturday's Kingston Town Stakes.

Lees is confident Our Candidate, a lightly-raced 5YO import with three wins and a second from his last four starts in lesser races,  is ready to win the Newcastle Cup.

"This is another step up, but he has kept improving and gets in with the limit weight," Lees said.

"He has been in work for quite a while but I have spaced his runs and couldn't be happier with him.

"I'm sure he will be hard to beat but don't dismiss Red Cardinal. I feel there's little between them.

"Red Cardinal won the Parramatta Cup and Sky High Stakes at Rosehill earlier in the year at his first two runs for me and is the class horse."

Former German mare Attention Run is also in the mix now she has gained a start.

"Attention Run has done nothing wrong in her three runs for me and wasn't far away from Our Candidate last time at Randwick," Lees said.

Lees has decided to start Articus (Jason Collett) in Friday's G3 Cameron Handicap (1500m) at Newcastle rather than send him to Randwick on Saturday.

Articus is Lees' sole representative in the Cameron but has to overcome the outside barrier.

"He's not without a chance but his prospects will hinge on whether he can get over and get some cover," Lees said.

Lees will rely on another import Delectation Girl (Avdulla), in the G3 Tibbie Stakes (1400m) against her own sex, having withdrawn Star Reflection.