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She’s the only horse to beat the exciting Lost And Running and trainer Kris Lees is confident Enchanted Heart can return to the form that was good enough to topple that potential star when she ventures to Gosford on Saturday.
Kris Lees said it's best to put a line through the four-year-old's failure when she met Lost And Running again at Randwick two weeks ago and focus more on her soft track Canterbury win first-up when assessing her chances in the Listed $150,000 De Bortoli Wines Takeover Target Stakes (1200m).
Enchanted Heart ($4.20 with TAB on Thursday) endured a torrid run at Randwick, fading to be beaten six lengths, but at Gosford has a more favourable set up.
"On face value she was disappointing but we tried to be positive and she just got caught in the three deep line, no cover, on a hot speed and on a firm track,'' Lees said.
"So there are a few things that contributed to a poor run. I think she had legitimate excuses.
"It's a different scenario this Saturday, it looks like she gets her preferred surface and it's not the strongest stakes race you'll see."
The mare, who cost $80,000 as a yearling, has been a quiet achiever for Lees and her owners, winning seven of her 18 starts and banking just shy of $300,000.
Key to her chances of snaring a valuable stakes win, and a third in the Takeover Target for the trainer after Captain Bax (2008) and Tactical Advantage (2019), is the likelihood of at least a soft track and Lees expects her to return to more a stalking role.
"If she can just get a covered up run behind the leaders, the fence will probably be inferior, and then she can get to the right part of the track,'' he said.
"She's a handy mare and will run well."
The leading Newcastle trainer has dual representation in the feature $500,000 The Coast (1600m) with lightly raced filly I Say Hello and backmarker Game Of Thorns chasing the major prize.
I Say Hello ran third in the Group 3 JHB Carr Stakes (1400m) at Randwick two weeks ago behind one of her Coast rivals in All Hallows' Eve and Lees is using the race to test some of the filly's boundaries.
"It'll determine which way we go with her, whether we keep her to a shorter course or give her a chance to step up in trip,'' he said.
"I thought it's a nice opportunity for a shot at nice prizemoney with a view if she ran well and ran out a strong mile we'd consider running in the (Doomben) Roses."
Lees said the three-year-old did have her chance against All Hallows' Eve last start but she's yet to put in an average effort so has no reason to think she won't measure up again.
Game Of Thorns drew wide in the Provincial Championships series, she ran a typically fast-finishing fifth in the Final, but is unlikely to be able to make a lot of use of gate two on Saturday.
"She gets back, she'll be suited at the mile if there is any tempo,'' Lees said.
"She mixes her form a touch but her Provincial Championships run was pretty strong so it gives her a hope."
Lees has won two of the past six editions of the Reward Group & Luux Properties Gosford Gold Cup (2100m), with Oriental Lady (2015) and Singing (2018), and will be relying on enigmatic mare Aliferous in Saturday's running.
Kris Lees on My Swashbuckler ($5, Race 5): "It's a big jump in grade but he's always shown us a little bit so I expect him to run well. He'll be competitive now he's got the soft ground."
On High Opinion ($23, Race 5): "It was a good run last start. He's at an age where I wouldn't say he's the most consistent fellow but he does like this type of ground so he should run well."
