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Special Reward will race in blinkers at Eagle Farm tomorrow in a last-ditch bid to clinch a Stradbroke Handicap berth.

But Kris Lees says the talented former Western Australian sprinter will need to be ultra-impressive in the Group 2 Moreton Cup (1200m).

Lees will start both Special Reward (Hugh Bowman) and Zaniah (Andrew Mallyon) in the $200,000 feature, but the former is his sole remaining acceptor in the $1.5m Group 1 Stradbroke (1400m) at Eagle Farm next Saturday.

Special Reward  has been unplaced at both starts this time in at Hawkesbury (1100m Listed Gold Rush) and Doomben (1350m Group 3 BRC Sprint), but was caught wide in his latest run.

"I'm hoping putting winkers on him will keep him more focused," Lees said this morning.

"We'll be positive on him, and he could easily turn his form around if he gets his own way in front.

"But he needs to be ultra-impressive to convince us to back him up in the Stradbroke.

"Zaniah  is racing well and comes in on the minimum weight.

"The 1200m is a bit of a question, but she has a real liking for Eagle Farm."

Lees' other Eagle Farm runners are Itz Lily  (Listed Spear Chief Handicap, 1500m), Aliferous ($500,000 wfa National Classic, 1600m) and Zeftabrook (Listed Queensland Day Stakes, 1200m).

Andrew Mallyon will ride all three, and two of them – Itz Lily and Aliferous – changed hands recently at the Magic Millions National Broodmare sale at the Gold Coast.

"Itz Lily also comes in on the minimum weight, and can run well from her inside draw," Lees said.

"Aliferous  always runs well, and will get her chance from another good draw in a big prizemoney event."

Lees withdrew Zeftabrook from a Sydney engagement last week to focus on the Eagle Farm race, and three scratchings have reduced the field to 11.

Zeftabrook wasn't too far away at her last run when fifth to the pacy Ballistic Lover in the Listed Denise's Joy Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens on May 15.

. Overnight rain has softed the Rosehill surface tomorrow to a "Soft 5", and clinched starts for both Raheen House (Regan Bayliss) and Attention Run (Andrew Adkins) in the Listed Winter Cup (2400m).

"Raheen House  certainly needed the rain, and there will be no excuses tomorrow," Lees said.

"The same with Attention Run, who has been a bit hit and miss of late."

Lees was more bullish about the chances of Always On Show in the Benchmark 72 Handicap (1800m).

Stable apprentice Louise Day's 2kg claim will lessen the Showcasing filly's weight to 51kg; 1kg below the limit.

"Always On Show is racing well, has no weight, will like the cut out of the ground and gives the impression she will relish the distance," Lees said.

"She has a definite each-way chance."

Lees also gives Snowzone, another Day mount, a similar chance in the Benchmark 78 Handicap (1200m).

Snowzone  resumed with an excellent fourth to Dream Circle in an 1100m Benchmark 78 at Rosehill on May 15, and Day's claim means he will carry 0.5kg less this time.

Third placegetter Belluci Babe confirmed the form by almost winning at Royal Randwick last Saturday.

"Snowzone has come on nicely since that run, and the rain-affected ground is in his favour," Lees said.

. Lees has four acceptors at his home track meeting at Newcastle tomorrow, but Loolwah won't run in the Benchmark 64 Handicap (1600m) from an awkward draw with the rail 8m out for the entire circumference.

He will rely on hat-trick seeker Jaja Chaboogie, with stable apprentice Dylan Gibbons' 3kg claim reducing the Your Song mare's weight to 57.5kg.

"Jaja Chaboogie is in good form and, though stepping up to provincial company from her recent wins at Port Macquarie and Tamworth, can run well again with the claim and from an inside draw," Lees said.

Lees also runs Confessed (Andrew Gibbons) in the Class 1 Handicap (1400m), and Matterhorn (Aaron Bullock) in the Class 1 Handicap (1200m).

Confessed, a lightly-raced daughter of Press Statement, resumed when third over 1200m at Tamworth on May 17 after breaking through over 1300m at Scone last December before a break.

"This is a step up, but she ran well first-up and has taken improvement from that," Lees said.

"Matterhorn is a newcomer from New Zealand, and his work has been satisfactory," Lees said.

"We'll know a bit more about him after he races tomorrow."

The Gerry Harvey-owned Matterhorn, a Swiss Ace three-year-old, was second at Te Aroha on debut last August over 1200m before bolting home over a similar trip at Tauranga in September.

He returns to racing tomorrow as a gelding, and won his latest trial at Wyong (1000m) on May 17.