Kris Lees has fond memories of the Clarendon Stakes, including Graff taking out the Hawkesbury feature in 2018.
Graff returned later that year to win the San Domenico Stakes and ran third in the Golden Rose.
Newcastle trainer Kris Lees has a nice opinion of two-year-old Damien.Credit: Getty Images
Other Clarendon Stakes winners include Zardozi, the 2023 winner that went on to take out the group 1 VRC Oaks, and Zoustar, now one of Australia’s top stallions, which clinched the 2013 edition, and went straight to Brisbane that winter to win the Sires Produce and group 1 JJ Atkins.
Lees hopes to add to his tally on Saturday with promising gelding Damien.
Damien resumed racing at his home track in Newcastle last start, raced greenly, but was still able to knuckle down late and land the victory.
“He was competitive on debut in January, and came back in good order the other day,” Lees said. “He steps up in grade, albeit there are only three [previous] winners in Saturday’s race. Traditionally, this race throws up a nice horse, so mine will need to be on his game.
“I always thought he would be a 1400m horse. The heavy ground might be a little questionable, but his pedigree suggests he will handle it. He also trialled OK [on a heavy surface].”
Damien, a colt by Hellbent, wanted to hang out halfway up the Newcastle straight, but there was a lot to like about the last part of his race.
Hawkesbury Cup hope Tavi Time wins at Newcastle in 2023.Credit: Getty Images
“He’s a bit green and did a bit wrong, but he did sit outside the leader and raced without cover,” Lees said. “He’ll need a bit of luck on Saturday from a touch tricky gate, but the horse is going well.
“If he runs well, Queensland will be under consideration, and a race like the Sires.”
Should everything go to script with Damien, a fourth and final run in the group 1 JJ Atkins would be the obvious path. Stablemate Rivellino won the Skyline Stakes before a fourth in the Golden Slipper in March.
Michael Freedman’s Aerodrome won on debut at Warwick Farm, while Scone gelding Fortissimo, which saluted on a heavy 10 in the bush, are the only rivals to have already won in the 12-horse Clarendon field.
Lees also produces the ultra-consistent Tavi Time in the feature group 3 Hawkesbury Cup (1600m). Tavi Time resumed with an eye-catching long and sustained run to finish second behind Sandpaper at Randwick.
“He couldn’t run down the leader, but he’s getting out to a more suitable distance,” Lees said.
“He’s got an outside gate, but with the soft track and [with the Cup] being late in the day, hard up on the fence might not be ideal. He’ll run well. He’s very consistent. If [all goes to plan], he’ll go to the Scone Cup in a fortnight’s time.”
Tavi Time is an $8 chance behind Punch Lane, the five-year-old gelding on the quick back-up from his dominant win at Randwick last Saturday.
Victorian visitor Regal Zeus, which loves the wet, will not come to Hawkesbury, trainer John McArdle confirming his horse will race in Melbourne.
Sara Ryan’s Matcha Latte is the only other horse below double-figure odds, and chasing a third straight victory.
Dragonstone (right) has a wide gate, but that may play in his favour if the Hawkesbury track is really wet.Credit: Getty Images
Pride confident wet-trackers can reign
Joe Pride is one trainer hoping Sydney’s big wet hangs around as he heads to Hawkesbury with at least one horse that improves “three to four lengths” in the wet.
While Pride keeps one eye on Coal Crusher and the stakes race in Brisbane, he has a huge opinion of pint-sized mare In Flight in the $200,000 listed Gold Rush (1100m).
Dragonstone will contest the same feature, while City Of Lights, Winx’s half-sister, contests the Hawkesbury Crown.
“I’m going there with good wet-trackers,” Pride said. “I do like In Flight. She’s only little, but she’s tenacious. She’s a good mare who improves three or four lengths in the wet. She’s a very good chance.
“She ran well on a dry, quick track first up, and I think the form in that race will hold up.
“I brought her back at this time of year for the wet tracks, and I’m happy we’ve found one this early.
“Dragonstone is always thereabouts, and won’t be too far away. He’s drawn a poor gate [14], but when it is wet at Hawkesbury, generally they’re no good on the fence, so the [wide] gate might not be as bad as it looks.”
Dragonstone ran home behind stablemates Mazu and Coal Crusher at Randwick recently, with the latter given little hope by the bookies – again – in Brisbane.
“When he hits form, he tends to hold it,” Pride said of Coal Crusher. “He’ll run a cheeky race up there. He’s not a particularly popular horse with punters – he never has been – but he’s always thereabouts. I think he’ll be suited up there.
“His pet distance is 1300m. But he’s drawn well and will give a good kick in front.
“I’ll be up there over the next few weeks with one sprinter. Mazu runs up there, then Estadio Mestalla [BRC Sprint], followed by Private Eye [Kingsford Smith Cup].”
Meanwhile, fellow Warwick Farm trainer Bjorn Baker was weighing up what to do with his own runners in the likelihood of a heavy track, including front-running mare Belclare, which was likely to be scratched, he said, if it remained a bog.
Stablemate Alegron was also a chance to be withdrawn, and was only ever using the Hawkesbury Cup to kick-start his campaign, which he did last year before going on to win the Brisbane Cup. The Cup remains his winter goal this time around.
