By Craig Kerry
Newcastle trainer Kris Lees is looking to Imposant to step up and show her credentials for the Provincial-Midway Championships with a Saturday city win at Randwick.
Lees has won the provincial series, which expanded to take in midway horses in 2022, five times, but concedes he is “a bit light on” with early standout contenders for this year’s campaign, which starts with a qualifier at Hawkesbury on February 20.
Imposant (right) tries to run down Headley Grange last start on January 11 at Wyong.Credit: Getty Images
Last week’s Ballina Cup winner, Lord Of Biscay, and four-year-old mare Imposant are horses Lees has in mind for the series.
Imposant has finished runner up in town twice to start this preparation. From gate eight, she came from well back with the widest run on the tight Wyong circuit last start to finish a half-length behind the Joe Pride-trained Headley Grange. It was just her second run in Saturday city company, and she is a $4.80 Sportsbet chance to go one better in the same grade from barrier one.
“She’s got that soft gate; she’s going well,” Lees said. “She will be better suited at Randwick than she was probably at Wyong. She gave away too big a start.
“She’s certainly got a Saturday city win in her soon.”
Lees said Imposant could be his best chance on Saturday, but he expected Zaphod to also challenge.
A winner over 1820m two starts back at Eagle Farm, Zaphod faded to finish seventh at Wyong two weeks ago over 2100m. He steps back to 2000m for the fourth race, also at 88 grade, on Saturday.
“I’d prefer a bit of rain around for him,” he said of the $5.50 chance. “But he’s racing consistently, coming back 100 metres, so he should run well.”
Another Australian Bloodstock import, Almania ($21), is in the same race for Lees. He was eighth in The Lakes at Wyong.
“He might just take another run,” Lees said. “He’s one run back from a long break, but he was good late in that race, and he’s out to a more suitable distance.”
Lees won the two-year-olds race at Randwick three weeks ago with colt Rivellino, which will trial next week in preparation for the $2 million Inglis Millennium at the track on February 8. He hopes Ole Kirk filly Odaka ($19) can also make a mark on debut in Saturday’s juvenile race to open the card.
“Odaka’s a nice two-year-old and has won a couple of trials,” he said. “Provincial trials, it can be a little hard to line them up, but I’m pretty happy with her.”
Meanwhile, Newcastle jockey Blake Spriggs remained intubated in the intensive care unit of Canberra Hospital on Thursday due to a blood infection following a bad fall at Moruya on Friday.
Spriggs had brain bleeds, punctured lungs, as well as broken ribs, a collarbone and forearm from the fall.
Beany Panya also fell in the race and has had surgery to stabilise her spine around two broken vertebrae. Racing NSW said on Thursday she was experiencing disorientation due to her head injury but remained in a stable condition.
