By John Schell
Local trainer Kris Lees is hopeful some handy metropolitan form will come to the fore at Newcastle on Sunday when the talented Bestower contests the Pro-Torque Cessnock Cup – Conditional Benchmark 68 Handicap (1850m).
The Newcastle-based Lees has booked jockey Darryl McLellan to ride Bestower in the $45,000 feature event, and the four-year-old mare by Contributor has shown she is on target for success with a couple of recent second placings.
Newcastle trainer Kris Lees will showcase his horses on home turf.Credit: Getty
“She’s been racing very well and the Cessnock Cup looks an ideal race for her,” said Lees.
“Her form towards the end of her last campaign was solid in city grade races, and then she resumed this campaign with an acceptable effort at Kembla Grange before running well when finishing second at Newcastle.
“Then she backed that up with a very good effort at Rosehill at her latest start when she made good ground late to hit the line well and finish second. That was over 1800m, and she steps up marginally in trip on Sunday to the 1850m and that should suit her.”
TAB Fixed Odds had Bestower as a pre-post favourite for the Cessnock Cup, ahead of the Matthew Smith-trained Subarctic, which has been campaigning in Victoria of late.
“I think Bestower is deserving of favouritism and Subarctic does look to be the hardest to beat,” Lees said.
“It should be a good race with a couple of handy middle-distance horses taking each other on.”
While Bestower will go around in the final event of the day, Lees will open the day with Cutepi lining up in the opening race, the Dabs Plumbing Provincial Maiden Handicap (900m).
“She’s a lightly raced Supido filly that has only had the two starts, and they were earlier this year,” said Lees.
“She wasn’t beaten far when midfield on debut at Muswellbrook and then finished off week enough at Gunnedah at her second start when finishing fourth.
“She’s had two barrier trials in preparation for her return to racing and she’s won them both so she’s ready to run well.”
Andrew Gibbons takes the ride on Cutepi.
