Former New Zealander Wolverine will be Kris Lees’ sole runner in the Group 1 Flight Stakes with the trainer opting not to stretch Willinga Best out to a mile.
The latter led and tired when fifth to Zougotcha in the Tea Rose Stakes (1400m) last start and while she wasn’t disgraced, Lees felt she would be better placed back to a sprint trip.
“Wolverine will run, not Willinga Beast,” Lees said.
“We will freshen her and she will go to the Roman Consul (Stakes) the week after.
“(The 1400 metres) just found her out. We had to try and see where she sat but she is more effective at 1200.”
While Willinga Beast will be kept to shorter journeys, Wolverine looks suited by a distance rise to 1600 metres in the Flight.
The winner of three of her five starts in New Zealand, two of them at stakes level, Wolverine has been strong late in her two Australian runs, working to the line stylishy for sixth in the Silver Shadow Stakes and storming home for third behind Zougotcha and Madame Pommery in the Tea Rose.
“She came over with good credentials from New Zealand, you’re just never sure how that form might stand up,” Lees said.
“She has improved off her two runs and I think she’s got more to give going forward.
“She has worked home well so she looks suited now at the mile.”
The Novacastrian trainer won the corresponding race in 2008 with star filly Samantha Miss, who along with Angst (1993) is one of only two fillies to have managed a Princess Series clean sweep.
No filly will add their name to that elite list this year with Zougotcha winning the Silver Shadow and Tea Rose Stakes but not contesting the Furious, which was taken out by North Star Lady.
Gary Portelli will decide early in the week if Fireburn backs-up in the Flight Stakes after finishing an eye-catching fifth to Jacquinot in Saturday’s Golden Rose.
