Kris Lees capped one of the most memorable days of his celebrated training career when Changingoftheguard led throughout to win the Group 1 $2 million Sydney Cup (3200m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
Changingoftheguard, raced by a syndicate of high profile owners including Lloyd and Nick Williams, was a $51 outsider but was rated superbly in front by Jason Collett and held off challengers to win the marathon staying test.
This the 20th anniversary of Lees’ first Sydney Cup with his old warhorse, County Tyrone,.
“When County Tyrone won the Sydney Cup it was one of my biggest thrills in racing,” Lees said.”But I would have to say this is just as big a thrill.”
Changingoftheguard’s win came after Lees scored his sixth win in the $1 million Provincial-Midway Championships Final, training the quinella for good measure when Lord Of Biscay defeated stablemate Imposant.
The champion Newcastle trainer – described by Nick Williams as the “nicest guy in racing” – admitted the Sydney Cup win with Changingoftheguard was a special moment his career.
“It is exciting just to train for them (Team Williams),” Lees said.
“Nick is a really good mate and to train for LLoyd and to win a prestigious race like this is a huge thrill.”
Lloyd Williams, a Hall of Famer, is the most successful owner in Melbourne Cup history with seven Melbourne Cups wins and Changingoftheguard gave him a fifth Sydney Cup after his previous wins with Gallante (2016), Mourayan (2013), Gallic (2007) and Major Drive (1987).
Changingoftheguard ($51) was the biggest boilover winner of the Sydney Cup since 200/1 outsider Murray King scored 100 years ago when he led all-the-way and held off Soul Of Spain ($8) to win by a half neck with Highland Bling ($17) a short neck away third.
River Of Stars was heavily backed into $5 favouritism but after moving up to challenge coming to the turn she faded to finish seventh.
Changingoftheguard, a son of all-time great sire Galileo, started his race career with Irish maestro Aidan O’Brien, winning three of his first nine starts including the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot and finishing fifth to Desert Crown in the 2022 English Derby.
Owners Lloyd and Nick Williams then purchased Changingoftheguard and sent him to Lees to train.
Changingoftheguard has had only 13 starts in nearly three years under Lees, gradually improving with each preparation and last spring he won the City Tattersalls Club Cup and ran ninth in the Melbourne Cup to Half Yours.
“He ran a bold race in the Melbourne Cup and we said after that we would save the blinkers for the Sydney Cup,” Lees said.”They were always going on, we were just trying to wait for today. It was a good plan and I’m happy we got the result.
“It’s a great thrill to win in those colours too. What a lovely, rated ride by Jason (Collet), I thought he was actually going too slow.
“He got him back to 14 (second sectionals), the horse goes quicker in trackwork most mornings, but they upped the ante when they came up around him and it was really pleasing.”
Collett admitted he had been a “little bit critical” of Changingoftheguard after he ran only ninth in the Chairman’s Quality last week but a pre-race pep talk from Lees boosted the jockey’s confidence.
“Kris said to me before the race that on the wet track last week the horse’s ‘wheels spun’,” Collett said.
“Then Kris said if the horse finds the bridle he’ll want to do it and he did. It was very lonely down the back straight, but I loved it though.
“It’s a good feeling when a horse gets in a good rhythm like that. We don’t get too many opportunities here in Australia over these distances.”
Collett said when Changingoftheguard fought off Newlook early in the straight, his confidence soared.
“When he didn’t throw in the towel I thought ‘that’s a change’,” Collett said. So that definitely gave me some confidence and although it’s a long straight, it’s pretty cool to win a Sydney Cup.”
Tommy Berry produced a brilliant ride on runner-up Soul Of Spain and pondered what might have been with a better barrier.”Soul Of Spain did a massive effort from the barrier. If he draws a gate, he arguably wins but the winner has done a good job in front as well,” Berry said.
Highland Bling is a lightly-raced stayer who has been placed in the Adelaide Cup and Sydney Cup this autumn – but jockey Ben Thompson is adamant the best is yet to come.”It was a great run by Highland Bling,” Thompson said.
“At start 16 it feels like he’s got a stack of scope left. To run third in this grade
