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Connections remain hopeful Mugatoo can still play a part in the $5m All-Star Mile at Moonee Valley on March 13.
Last year's Group 3 Newcastle Gold Cup winner and subsequent outstanding Group 1 Cox Plate fourth at The Valley over 2040m was not among the top 10 horses decided by public voting which were announced this morning.
But as the 11th most popular horse, Mugatoo is by no means out of the reckoning, with excellent prospects of being afforded one of the four wildcards to make up the 14-horse field.
"We're very much still keen to go to Melbourne for the All-Star Mile," Lees said this morning.
"His form last spring, especially his excellent run in the Cox Plate at the track, justifies him getting one of the wildcards.
"But we need to have an indication by Monday week to know where we are heading."
Lees said Mugatoo would not be sent to Melbourne to contest next Saturday's $200,000 Group 2 Blamey Stakes (1600m) at Flemington; the winner automatically gaining one of the wildcards.
The gelding resumed with a strong-finishing fifth to Golden Eagle winner Colette in the Group 2 Apollo Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick last Saturday, and will go into the All-Star Mile second-up if he makes the line-up.
Whilst Mugatoo won't be a Flemington runner next Saturday, stablemate The Bopper certainly will.
And he will have the services of Melbourne's premiership pacesetter Jamie Kah and an important change of gear for his tilt at the $500,000 Inglis Dash (1100m).
Lees has decided to put blinkers on the three-year-old for his Melbourne debut.
"The Bopper was disappointing in the Inglis Sprint at Randwick a fortnight ago, but I have worked him in blinkers since and he has responded well," Lees said.
"He deserves another chance at a good prizemoney race restricted to Inglis graduates, and I feel the straight track and back to 1100m will suit him."
Lees will have multiple entries for next Saturday's opening $150,000 heat at Newcastle of the 2021 Polytrack Provincial Championships.
He hasn't given up on last Saturday's Randwick failure Cristal Breeze taking his place in the field, with the first three placegetters qualifying for the $500,000 Final (1400m) at Randwick on April 10 during The Championships.
The gelding was fractious in the barrier, and afterwards was found to have blood present in his near-side nostril.
"That's certainly not his form, and he has recovered from the incident," Lees said.
"We'll make a decision about next Saturday's race after he works on Tuesday morning."
. Lees will have four runners at his home track meeting tomorrow, with a "Heavy 8" rating issued this morning following further overnight rain.
The unraced Epaulette three-year-old French Marine makes his debut in the 3YO Maiden Handicap (900m), seeking to convert his unbeaten sequence of four barrier trial wins into a race victory.
"He has done everything right leading up and I expect him to run well, but this doesn't look an easy race all the same," Lees said.
Andrew Gibbons will ride French Marine along with stablemates True Faith (Provincial & Country Maiden Handicap, 1200m), Sacramento Joe (Maiden Plate, 1870m) and Continuation (Benchmark 64 Handicap, 1870m).
"True Faith is resuming off a good second at the Newcastle Cup carnival last September, and should be hard to beat," Lees said.
"Sacramento Joe is still looking for more ground, but can improve on his Australian debut here over 1500m three weeks ago, whilst Continuation is getting fitter after two runs back and gradually stepping up in distance."
