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Promising stayer Our Candidate’s Sydney Cup campaign disappointingly is over.

Kris Lees has confirmed the import sustained an injury to his off fore tendon when a pleasing first-up third to his stablemate, another import Mugatoo, over 1600m at Royal Randwick last Saturday.

"Our Candidate  will be out for an extended period," Lees said this afternoon.

Our Candidate was a winter find, winning three of four starts (including 2400m victories at Rosehill Gardens and Randwick in July and August) before stepping up to black type company and starting favorite when third to Hush Writer in the Group 3 Newcastle Gold Cup (2300m) on September 20.

Lees spelled the Camelot five-year-old after the Newcastle race, and was planning to set him for the $2m Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) at Randwick on April 11.

Whilst Lees was understandably downcast about the injury to Our Candidate, he was delighted with Mugatoo's impressive Randwick victory at his Australian debut.

"He is a nice horse and has come through the race well," he said.

"But I probably won't run him again until mid-February. He is still eligible for Benchmark races."

Lees has sent stablemates Admiral Jello and Mawaany Machine north to run at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Brad Pengelly rides Admiral Jello and Andrew Mallyon has been booked for Mawaany Machine in the Class 6 Plate (1600m).

The initial field of 11 has been reduced to six already with five scratchings, but Lees is expecting both horses to take improvement from this race as the seven-year-olds are resuming from spells.

Admiral Jello has been with Lees right throughout, but Mawaany Machine is making his debut for his new trainer.

Lees has two acceptors at his home track meeting on Saturday, but may have only one runner.

Captain Solo (Aaron Bullock) is not a definite starter in the Maiden Handicap (1300m), but Enchanted Heart (Andrew Gibbons) is a certain runner in the Class 2 Handicap (1200m).

The Shamus Award filly has won two of her four starts – on country tracks at Moree and Tuncurry in September – and wasn't far away when a first-up fourth to Moccasin Miss in a Class 2 Handicap (1100m) at Gosford on January 10.

"Enchanted Heart had trialled well before that, has taken good improvement from the Gosford race and can be competitive on Saturday," Lees said.