A wide draw in Sydney and the opportunity to chase a $300,000 payday in Brisbane have lured Kris Lees north with progressive four-year-old Tasoraay.
The gelding is a dual state acceptor but after coming up with barrier 20 in the Saddles @ Mount White Handicap (1400m) at Randwick, Lees confirmed the horse would take his place in The Gateway (1400m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
“We will send him up. It’s good prizemoney and he’s in form,” Lees said.
“He drew wide in Sydney, so we’ll give him his chance up there.”
Tasoraay has won three of his 11 starts, including his most recent when he lumped 60kg to a narrow victory over 1250m at Canterbury.
His profile is similar to that of stablemate Dream Hour, who won The Gateway at double-figure odds two years ago.
That horse was subsequently prepared for the Provincial-Midway Championships and contested two heats but didn’t make the final, although Lees is hopeful Tasoraay can go the extra step.
“He will probably have a freshen after this and prepare for the Provincial Championships. He profiles like one of those type of horses,” Lees said.
The winner of The Gateway also earns automatic entry into the Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) in June, Dream Hour finishing ninth to Stefi Magnetica in the 2024 renewal.
While that race isn’t front of mind, Lees says it will be difficult to turn down such an opportunity if Tasoraay is successful on Saturday.
“We won it a couple of years ago with Dream Hour and we went that way,” he said.
“We will see. It’s a big jump from this race to a Stradbroke, but with a free ticket, you’d have to consider it.”
Tasoraay is a $23 chance in early markets for The Gateway, with the Tony Gollan-trained Boomtown Boss a solid $2.70 favourite.
