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Black type winners Chief Ironside and Graff are chasing Group 1 success in Saturday week’s Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm.
And Kris Lees is hopingDelectation Girl can also make the field for Brisbane's time-honoured sprint when final acceptances are taken on Tuesday morning.
Chief Ironside (a Group 2 winner and currently 13th in order of ballot with 52kg) and Graff (a Group 3 winner and Group 1 and 2 placed and 14th, also with 52kg) are certain to make the Stradbroke line-up of 18, but Delectation Girl (27th with 51kg) needs a number of dropouts to gain a berth.
Graff has already gone to Lees' Gold Coast base, but the trainer has not yet confirmed any riding arrangements for the Stradbroke.
"It's not easy because of the restrictions forced by COVID-19 in terms of the majority of Sydney jockeys not going to Brisbane, and the number of horses with lighter weights," Lees said this afternoon.
Lees did not accept with Miss Fabulass after she pulled up with cardiac arrhythmia at Randwick last Saturday, but hasn't ruled out a Queensland trip.
The mare has to trial satisfactorily before stewards to be cleared to race again, and her trainer hopes to do that at next Friday's Taree meeting.
Lightly-raced two-year-old filly Always A Show also is a first acceptor for Saturday week's Group 1 JJ Atkins (1400m) at Eagle Farm, but is currently 27th in order of ballot.
"Realistically, she needs to win at Doomben on Saturday, but it won't be an easy task at set weights," Lees said.
'I thought she ran very well at the Gold Coast a fortnight ago (when fourth to top Atkins fancy Wisdom Of Water) in the Group 3 Ken Russell Memorial Classic.
"Always A Show is back against her own sex on Saturday in the Bill Carter Stakes (1110m), but is drawn awkwardly."
Andrew Mallyon will ride the Showcasing youngster, and also Top Prospect (Benchmark 90 Handicap, 1600m) and Mawaany Machine (Chairman's Handicap, 2000m) at Doomben.
"Top Prospect looks nicely placed," Lees said. "He didn't have the best of luck when a close fourth to Grand Piano over 1600m at Randwick on May 9, and has worked well since.
"Mawaany Machine is up in class, but is in good form and has drawn well."
Lees also has representatives at tomorrow's metropolitan meeting at the Gold Coast.
He has three runners – Star Reflection (Mallyon), Bellaria (Ryan Wiggins) and Intrinsic (Sean Cormack) – in the Benchmark 85 Handicap (1200m) against their own sex, along with Tawfiq Boy (Mallyon) in the Benchmark 85 Handicap (1200m) for colts, geldings and entires, and Chilly Cha Cha (Mallyon) in the Benchmark 72 Handicap (1800m).
. Promising youngster Meadow Land has come through Tuesday's Broadmeadow 900m victory in good order, but won't start again until June 13 when he makes his city debut at Rosehill Gardens.