13 hours ago
Lees looks for Zaphod to hit back and lead another interstate double
Kris Lees expects to see the best of Zaphod at Randwick, after a forgive run, when the Newcastle trainer tries to score another Sydney-Queensland city double on Saturday.
Lees, who has had a satellite stable on the Gold Coast since 2018, won his second Queensland Oaks in three years when You Wahng repeated the feat of 2023 winner Amokura on June 7. Loch Eagle also won at Randwick to cap a memorable day for the stable.
'It's been a great asset to the stable,' Lees said of the Gold Coast operation.
'Mandy Jupp does a wonderful job and it works very smoothly. She runs a very tight ship.'
Lees has genuine metropolitan chances across the states again on Saturday. Lutetia ($14 Sportsbet) contests the TL Cooney Stakes and Bubba's Bay ($11) is in the listed Gai Waterhouse Classic at Ipswich, while Bestower ($3.50) and Barazin ($11) are other runners on the program.
'Bubba's Bay, she was just taken on all the way last start [when sixth], but now third run in, she should run up to her best,' he said.
'I can see her really turning her form around.
'Bestower is a bit hard to catch but she could easily run well there, and Lutetia is racing consistently and she should run well.'
Zaphod looks Lees' best chance across the meetings. The import, with three wins and three placings in nine Australian starts, was a $3.10 shot in the sixth, an 1800m benchmark 88 handicap.
