Newcastle trainer Kris Lees was grinning through the rain after his German import Hathras claimed his first Australian win at Rosehill on Saturday.
The wet track and challenging conditions didn’t bother the four-year-old or jockey Christian Reith, who steered the promising stayer to an impressive win in the Endeavour Foundation Packaging Services Handicap (1800m).
Hathras - Photo by Steve Hart
“He is a very a nice horse and it was a very nice win,” Lees said.
“He’s come to hand so quickly and has really got a bit of presence about him.”
Despite the encouraging performance Lees wasn’t getting carried away.
He has already mapped a campaign out for Hathras as the season moves into the autumn carnival.
Hathras has been nominated for the BMW and Doncaster Mile and the win improves Hathras’s record to two wins from six starts.
The foreign contingent at the Lees provincial stable doesn’t end there with Award Season also performing strongly.
Saturday’s victory was the perfect tonic for Lees after the drama involving I’m Mary Too at Canterbury on Wednesday.
The five-year-old mare was a non-starter after she threw herself against the starting gate suffering an injured nose in the process.
The injury wasn’t as serious as it looked with with Lees indicating that she is set to return at Newcastle next week.