Lees looks to open edition for chance to break Hunter drought

Kris Lees quipped after winning the race last year named in honour of his late father that his dad would have rather won the $1 million event on the day.

And while Kris was pleased to finally claim the $160,000 Max Lees Classic with Gobi Desert, after multiple placings in the two-year-old race, his sights have always been on taking out the $1 million The Hunter (1300m) on his home track’s annual standalone program.

Dylan Gibbons rides Infancy to victory in the Fireball Stakes at Randwick in March last year.Credit: Getty Images

Lees trained the runner-up in the race’s first three editions with Tactical Advantage (2019), Special Reward (2020) and Wandabaa (2021) but he hasn’t threatened since.

The Hunter, now at group 2 level, and the day’s staying feature, The Beauford, elevated to listed grade last year, are the only stakes races to elude the Lees stable.

Kris, just two shy of his father’s mark of 20 group 1 wins as a trainer, broke their drought in the Newcastle Cup in 2020 with Mugatoo.

“I just hope it doesn’t take as long as the Newcastle Cup did,” Lees said of claiming the Hunter.

“But any big race is hard to win, and a $1 million race is even harder.”

Newcastle’s premier trainer has each-way chances in Brudenell ($41) and Infancy ($34), but Lees believes they are not without a chance in a race missing Everest runners and a standout performer.

Yorkshire ($3.60), a well-backed benchmark 88 handicap winner, and eight-year-old Coal Crusher, which has not saluted again since taking out the 2023 Hunter, led the market on Thursday.

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“It’s probably not like the last few years, with Briasa, Lost And Running and so forth, so it’s a lot more open I’d suggest this year,” he said.

“It’s still a very good edition, a proper, really open handicap.”

Six-year-old Brudenell has won twice at 1200m level in Melbourne and was less than a length away last start when fifth in the 1100m Choisir Handicap at Randwick on Melbourne Cup day.

“He loomed up to win, but probably the 59 kilos might have just anchored him late,” Lees said.

“He’s not a big horse, so he’ll appreciate a little drop in weight [to 56kg]. The 1300 is a little questionable for him, but that said, he’s won at 1250 and performed well at 1300 before.”

Jockey Tim Clark takes over from three-kilogram claiming apprentice Will Stanley aboard Brudenell, which has the advantage of gate one.

Infancy, the group 2 Sapphire Stakes winner, will have to overcome a wide draw in 17, which will likely be 15 in the 16-horse field. She was eighth in the group 3 Nivison (1200m) at Rosehill and sixth in the Begonia Belle Stakes (1100m) at Flemington at her past two starts, but she was just over two lengths away each time. Novocastrian Dylan Gibbons has the ride.

“Her most recent run was a lot better than it reads,” he said of the Flemington effort.

“It was a little bit luckless down the straight and she will appreciate being back at her home track. The alley is not as concerning as it first reads and she should get her chance.”

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Lees has 10 runners across the 10-race card and said Eclair Encore in the Lees Racing Legends Mile and Kind Words in the Alf Kneebone Trans-Tasman Trophy were his best chances.

In the Beauford, a $300,000 race over 2300m, he has Age Of Sail as a $23 chance from gate two with Alysha Collett to ride. The seven-year-old import won the Port Macquarie Cup two starts ago, then finished down the track in the Bendigo Cup.

“He was totally luckless in the Bendigo Cup,” Lees said.

“He was the only horse who travelled three-deep without cover throughout the run. He’ll appreciate a good gate, home track and no weight.

“His Port Macquarie win was off a five or six-week break, so it was pleasing to get him back in the winners’ stall and on his home track, he should run well.”

In the Max Lees Classic, the stable has two chances - Pomelo Chamomile ($6.50) and Farhah ($16) - to give them back-to-back wins. The 900m race was first held in 2017 to acknowledge Max, who died in 2003.

Pomelo Chamomile beat Farhah in her only trial. All 12 in the race are making their debuts.

“They are two nice fillies,” he said.

“Pomelo is pretty bombproof. She’s a lighter-framed filly and she’s worked well since.

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