You couldn’t really imagine trainer Kris Lees walking around saying ‘ho ho ho’ … but you would expect that he is currently in very good festive cheer after the way his stable has performed over the last three day.
On Boxing Day, the stable landed a double at Randwick, including the Group 3 Summer Cup which was taken out by the smart Tavi Time under Dylan Gibbons. It was the gelding’s tenth career win from only twenty-eight starts and the $140 000 first prize took the New Zealand bred’s prize-money earnings through the $1 million barrier … always a satisfying landmark achievement, irrespective of the horse involved.
Power Of The Brave, who has now saluted on six occasions, was another comfortable Lees stable winner at Randwick on the day with apprentice William Stanley doing the honours in the saddle.
Move on from Boxing Day (Friday) to Saturday and the roll continued for the Lees yard.
The stable only saddled two runners at Eagle Farm and came away with two winners with Zaphod and Saxobushi both getting the job done, seemingly with something in hand.
Adding pleasure to that outcome was the fact that Saxobushi was not only making it back-to-back wins but was winning for the third time in his six career starts. Drill down a bit more on that and you will find the win at Eagle Farm was actually his third win in his last four starts … a telling indication of just how well the lightly raced three-year-old chestnut is starting to travel as he learns what racing is all about.
Also, it was good for the stable to get the five-year-old Zaphod back into the winner’s enclosure. He had last won a race last December at Eagle Farm and he obviously enjoys the conditions in the Sunshine State’s at this time of year.
Jason Collett, who had a field day of his own riding four winners at Eagle Farm partnered both the Lees trained winners.
And, of course, a stable has to place all of their horses to their best advantage so it is not all about Metropolitan racing … and the Lees stable was once again right on the mark when they sent Nomomeikushi to Coffs Harbour on Saturday where she made light work of the Heavy 10 track to score by a decisive 2.55 length margin … at, wait for it, a starting price of $41. Andrew Gibbons was the rider.
A three-year-old, Nomomeikushi came back a winner in only her second career start suggesting the Lees team has plenty to work with here with the daughter of Tosen Stardom.
And the stable wasn’t quite finished yet.
Moving on to Sunday … one runner at Gosford … one winner, and not just any winner, a winner in the Group 3 Gosford Belle of the Turf with the Witten Tycoon mare Kind Words, with Tom Sherry aboard, taking the final bow on what has been an enormous weekend for Kris Lees and all associated with the stable.
Nineteen runners at Randwick, Eagle Farm, Gosford, Coffs Harbour, Newcastle and the Gold Coast … for six winners, including two Group 3 successes … you wouldn’t think it has been a particularly restful three days for the yard, but it has been an immensely rewarded one for what has to be a very pleasing, big team effort.
