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Lees favors Attention Run to perform better despite the metropolitan set back

3 minute read

Attention Run failed in The Metropolitan, but her trainer considers she can turn that around at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

Jockey : JASON COLLETT
Jockey : JASON COLLETT Picture: Racing and Sports

Jason Collett rides the grey mare in the Listed City Tattersalls Cup (2400m); a decent drop in grade from the Group 1 The Metropolitan over the same course on October 3.

Attention Run  had notched her second successive placing in her hometown Group 3 Newcastle Gold Cup (2300m) on September 18 before a disappointing last in The Metropolitan.

"I gave her a week off at our farm at Ellalong after that race," Kris Lees said this afternoon.

"Her previous run in the Newcastle Cup when third to stablemate Mugatoo was excellent, and she invariably performs well fresh.

"She is definitely capable of turning her Metropolitan form around on Saturday."

Lee is looking forward to taking The Bopper back to town for his stiffest test on Saturday.

The much hyped and lightly-raced three-year-old lines up in the Listed Brian Crowley Stakes (1200m), and Josh Parr is a new rider for him.

"Though it carries Listed status, it is basically a Benchmark 78 Handicap and The Bopper is certainly not outgraded, on paper at least," Lees said.

The Nicconi gelding brilliantly won his first two starts at Tamworth and Scone (Inglis Challenge) in April and May as a two-year-old, and resumed with a close second to Black Magnum in a Benchmark 72 Handicap (1100m), run in record time at Canterbury on October 5.

"I thought he was pretty good in defeat there against some experienced campaigners, and he has come through that race really well," Lees said.

"There's no reason why he won't run well again on Saturday back against his own age."

Lees will run all three mares – Evalina (Collett), Wandabaa (Tommy Berry) and Asharani (Brenton Avdulla) – in the Group 3 The Nivison (1200m) against their own sex.

"All three have drawn well, and you could make a case for the lot of them," he said.

"Evalina has performed well without much luck in two Group 2s and a Group 3 this campaign, Wandabaa has been up forever but continues to race well and has been freshened since being placed in the Tibbie Stakes at home last month, and Asharani was just beaten first-up by Athiri at Randwick three weeks ago."

. Kedah (Class 6 Handicap, 1615m), Tawfiq Boy (Open Handicap, 1350m) and Snowzone (Benchmark 78 Handicap (1200m) are his Doomben acceptors for Saturday's Brisbane meeting.

However, Tawfiq Boy is a doubtful runner unless rain arrives.

A wet track won't worry Snowzone, who is resuming from a break and has a splendid record at the track (three wins and four placings from nine starts).

"Snowzone loves both Doomben and a wet track," Lees said. "He has been placed at his last four runs there, and had a tick over barrier trial at the Gold Coast on October 12.

"Kedah has been in good form at Eagle Farm at her last few runs (a win and two placings), and it will be interesting to see if she can carry that over to Doomben."

Andrew Mallyon is booked for Kedah, whilst Jim Byrne has the mount on Snowzone, whose awkward draw has been eased somewhat by six withdrawals already from the race.


Racing and Sports

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