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A third Taree Cup might not be a reality for Kris Lees

3 minute read

Kris Lees has already won the Taree Cup twice, but might not chase a third this year even though he has two acceptors.

Trainer : KRIS LEES after, HIGH OPINION winning the Quincy Seltzer (Bm88)
Trainer : KRIS LEES after, HIGH OPINION winning the Quincy Seltzer (Bm88) Picture: Racing and Sports

Lees this afternoon listed High Opinion  as a most unlikely runner (he drew the outside in a field of 16) for Sunday's $100,00 feature to be run over 2000m, and is also yet to commit stablemate Korcho (Jason Collett) to a start.

Korcho has been impressive winning his last two assignments at Rosehill Gardens, but Lees is having second thoughts about running him because he also drew awkwardly (barrier 12) with 60kg.

"I might wait and run him at Rosehill again on Saturday week in another Benchmark 78 Handicap (2000m)," he said this evening.

Lees won the Taree Cup in 2014 with Slivovitz and again two years later with Olympic Academy (since renamed Wicked Academy after being sold to race in South Australia), and has also had placings with Slivovitz (2015), Admiral Jello (2017) and Mongolian Wolf last year.

Whilst a Taree Cup assault might be put on hold for another year, he will have three runners at his home track meeting on Saturday.

They are Shootforthestar (900m Maiden Plate), Wild Sheila (2350m Class 1 & Maiden Plate), and Hard Lady (1400m Benchmark 64 Handicap for fillies and mares).

Andrew Gibbons will ride Shootforthestar and Wild Sheila, and Christian Reith has the mount on Hard Lady.

"Shootforthestar has raced only once and is resuming, and has trialled well," Lees said.

"The rail is out 8m and she has drawn awkwardly, but is not without a chance.

"Wild Sheila has been placed at her last three starts, and having drawn the inside, gets her chance to win another race.

"Hard Lady has been thereabouts lately, but is going to need luck from a bad gate."

. Lees has sent pacy mare Witherspoon to Melbourne to chase black type success at Moonee Valley on Saturday.

She will contest the Listed Carlyon Stakes (1000m) for four-year-olds and upwards to be run at set weights and penalties, and Damien Oliver will ride her.

Lees is hoping it's a case of déjà vu as Oliver also notched a Valley winner for him on Iconic Star in June over the same 1000m course.

Witherspoon has been flying, winning two of her last three Sydney appearances, and will need to again show her customary brilliance as she has drawn eight in a field of nine with the rail out 5m on the tight circuit.

"Witherspoon has galloped the Melbourne way at Broadmeadow, and handled the reverse direction well," Lees said.

"She is a specialist at 1000m, and deserves the chance to win a black type race."

. Lees also has a number of representatives at Saturday's Doomben meeting, including Snowzone (Jim Byrne) and Occupy (Andrew Mallyon) – Stella Sea Sun is unlikely – in the Class 6 Plate (1350m).

"I'm taking blinkers off Snowzone because he went a bit fierce last time and battled on well," he said.

"Occupy has been gelded, and I've been holding him back waiting to get a firmer track. He has won first-up previously."

Lees' other Doomben runners are Mawaany Machine (apprentice Justin Huxtable) in the Benchmark 90 Handicap (2000m) and Wild Fortune (Michael Cahill) in the Class 3 Plate (1200m) against her own sex.


Racing and Sports

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