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Kris Lees says he is taking a “much better horse” to Canberra on Monday to hopefully make amends for an unlucky defeat two years ago.
Lees is leaning strongly toward running the highly-regarded import Mugatoo in the $250,000 Listed Cup (200m) from the inside barrier rather than Saturday's Listed Randwick City Stakes (2000m), where he would have started from the outside.
The leading Newcastle trainer's late father Max won the 1994 Canberra Cup with Nassabidi when it was run at 2400m, and he nearly repeated the feat when Admiral Jello was runner-up to Almost Court in 2018.
"This bloke (Mugatoo) is a much better horse, and he is doing everything right," Lees said this afternoon.
"By the same token, it's a jump in grade to what he has been meeting.
"We'll have a much better guide to tackling better races with him when we see how he shapes up on Monday.
"But I couldn't be more pleased with him."
The lightly-raced Mugatoo is unbeaten from two starts in Australia, taking a Benchmark 88 Handicap (1600m) at Randwick on January 25 and then a Benchmark 76 Handicap (1800m) on the Kensington track on February 19 under 60kg.
. Lees has accepted with all five entries for Saturday's second $150,000 Provincial Championships Qualifier (1400m) at Hawkesbury, but has warned early favorite Enchanted Heart is a doubtful runner.
"At this stage, she is going to Dubbo tomorrow for a $50,000 Gold BOBS Bonus race (1400m Class 3 Handicap)," he said.
Enchanted Heart is a three-year-old Shamus Award filly who has won three of her six starts to date.
She raced away from her rivals on heavy ground (Dubbo was rated a Heavy 8 this afternoon) to easily win a Class 2 Handicap (1300m) at Taree on February 23.
Lees' definite Provincial Championship starters at Hawkesbury are Albert's No Pussy (Aaron Bullock), Great Danger (Sam Clenton), Intrinsic (Christian Reith) and Vive Marie (Blake Spriggs).
"The wet conditions won't bother Intrinsic," Lees said.
"She has won on both soft and heavy tracks and ran fourth in the Listed Ramornie Handicap (1200m) at Grafton last July on a soft track.
"I'm not sure any other horse in Saturday's race could have done that.
"Great Danger was good winning first-up at Newcastle and has an excellent soft track record but yet to race on heavy ground.
"Both Albert's No Pussy and Vive Marie need to improve on their latest runs."
Lees, who has won two of the five Provincial Championships Finals since the series was launched in 2015, already has a definite representative in the $500,000 Final at Randwick on April 11; Stella Sea Sun was placed in last week's opening heat on her home track.
. Lees notched a Brisbane double last Saturday, and will have three runners at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Mawaany Machine (Robbie Fradd) and Admiral Jello (James Orman) both contest the Class 6 Handicap (1830m), and Redoute's Image (Larry Cassidy) runs in the 2YO Handicap (1300m).
"Mawaany Machine and Admiral Jello are fitter and will appreciate the extra 200m, and I have decided to back up Redoute's Image after her second over 1110m at Doomben last Saturday.
"She is shaping as though 1300m will suit her, and she has drawn the inside alley."
