Stable stars Samantha Miss and Captain Bax enjoyed a leisurely workout this morning on the course proper. Both horses worked over 800m in even time but Kris took the easy workout to educate both horses the Melbourne way of going. Kris said this morning, “They are both ticking over nicely and I just used this morning’s easy work to let them stretch their legs the Melbourne way of going. Nothing to serious and they both went around perfect and my senior track work rider, Mal Ollerton stated how free they were and took it all in their stride. I will do a bit more serious work on Saturday morning but all is great with both of them.”

Brilliant filly Samantha Miss is becoming a super star after another win in Saturdays Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes at Rosehill Gardens. Samantha has now won at Group level, in her last four outings which started in the back in the Group 1 Champagne  Stakes when she brought down the colours of the Two Year old of the year, Sebring.

The manner in which she is winning her races has good expects labelling her the best filly in the Country, and who could argue. She has learned to relax in running for her star hoop Hugh Bowman and then explodes when asks and reels off amazing sectionals. In the Tea Rose she was clocked a slick 22.60sec for the last 400m which was the fastest of the day.

Her racing pattern and bullet proof nature has the racing community singing her praises and Kris said after the race, “I think that win was amazing. To relax the way she does then sprint off a slow pace like that, she is a super horse and a privilege to train.” When asked further about his intention with her programming, Kris had this to say, “I’ll just keep ticking her over. She is so relaxed at home and whatever I do with her at home she is just improving so I think there is improvement in her and will now go onto the Flight Stakes which has always been our aim, then I’ll confer with her owner, Mr Croghan and see what way we go with a Melbourne trip in mind. But with such a super horse I would love to see Mr Croghan have his horse in such a great race like the Cox Plate. He has been a super owner and supported me since the start with a lot of horses, but has given me the opportunity of purchasing some beautifully bred horses and hopefully we are giving him something back.”

The Newcastle Cup will be the stables veteran Group 1 campaigner, County Tyrone’s last run. It is a fitting back drop when County farewells his fans at his home track all his racing life. County has walked, trotted or galloped around Broadmeadow far too many times to measure in distance. He has been prepared by a master trainer in Max Lees then transferred to Kris 5 years ago and gave the young trainer his grounding to become a multiple Group 1 trainer. He has educated many young apprentice jockeys and been a constant gentleman around Broadmeadow stables, with many young strappers thrilled to be just walking in his presence.

It will be sad day for his stable and especially his constant strapper and mate, Bob Bowe who has been alongside him in every campaign. But it will be a fitting day for a champion who will leave racing fit and healthy as his soundness is more important to the owners and stable than another trophy, but don’t be surprised if the old fella has one last real dig and goes out a winning champion and runs the race of his long life and wins his home cup.

County Tyrone will be long remembered as the tough stayer who just loved being a race horse in the toughest events on the thoroughbred calendar.

Racing returns to Royal Randwick with the stable shooting for another successful day with its Group 1 winning filly Samantha Miss trying to add another Group race to her impressive return to racing. Samantha Miss will go around in the Group 2 Furious Stakes over 1400m.

Speaking from track work this morning Kris said, “Samantha has continued to improve and I am very happy with her going into tomorrow’s race. The rain is a little concerning but we will wait until tomorrow and see how much rain Randwick gets. It’s great to be heading back to Randwick after the break and I’m looking forward having a few nice runners there with Zattero and Silent But Deadly also racing.”

Kris also added, “I have several runners on our home track at Newcastle but this rain is certainly confusing things and I also have Carnegie Prince in Brisbane. So the stable has plenty of runners and I’ll be very busy but it should be a good day for the stable.”

The stable continues to train plenty of winners with Hyper Fire, Norma De Largo, Manoloblahniks, and Klish Klash carrying the stable colours to victory of the last 7 days. “It’s always pleasing to train winners for my owners, it doesn’t matter where that may be. I enjoy training winners and I don't know any owners that don’t enjoy seeing their horse win, so we travel and place our horses to win.” The stable continues to produce many winners after its great 07/08 season.

Brilliant filly Samantha Miss has returned to racing in stunning form with her commanding win in Saturdays Group 3 Silver Shadow Stakes. The Group 1 winning filly has returned to racing in great shape in is a credit to Kris and his hard working stable staff.

The filly was again partnered by premier jockey, Hugh Bowman and began well and then drifted back to the rear of field. On approaching the 600m, the filly was still at the rear of the field and her admirers where hopeful of seeing her run on and show she would be a force as the distances increased during her spring campaign.

The champion filly and Bowman then commenced to weave through the field and aided by a perfectly timed run, burst through a small gap at the 200m and proved to strong winning by a neck. On returning to scale Kris said, “I just wanted her to find the line and show me that she had returned to racing in good order. Hugh did exactly what I asked and let her find her feet and relax then find the line and I was hopeful she would run on and finish the race of nicely. But she is a special filly and sprinted so fast from the 600m to the 400m and showed her brilliance to be to strong on the line. I have no firm plans with her but she will be aiming for the Princess series with the Flight Stakes her main aim at this stage.” When asked about his plans for a Melbourne spring campaign Kris added, “She is a very valuable filly and I would like to just plan through to the Flight stakes and she will let me know if Melbourne is on our agenda.”

Samantha Miss is owned by stable stalwart, Ron Croghan and it was great to see him again enjoy his prize filly. Mr Croghan has been a loyal supporter of Lees Racing for many years and it is the stables privilege to train such a special filly.

The stable is stepping out two of its staying stars when County Tyrone and Exinite resume today at Rosehill.

Both horses have similar races mapped out for them with Newcastle and Wyong Cups as possible missions. They have trained on terrific since returning to the stable. Kris said, “I couldn’t be happier with both of them at this stage of their preparation. County just keeps amazing me with his vibrant manner around the stable and will be running home late. Exinite is a talented horse that has been difficult to train with a few problems but when he is right, he is a talented galloper and don’t think we have seen the best of him yet.”

“My other old favourite, Captain Bax runs again in the Premier. It’s a small but select field but I think our bloke will run well, he has pleased again this week.”

Other stable runners today at Rosehill are Carnegie Prince and Abbacina, engaged in the Dooleys Handicap 110m (Race 8) and both will run well with good barrier draws and good jockeys, which is always important.

 

Race 4 : SMITHFIELD RSL CLUB PREMIERE STAKES : 1200
Of $150000 and $1150 trophy. 1st $97500 and trophy of $1150, 2nd $30000, 3rd $13500, 4th $6000, 5th $3000.
Starter Subsidy: $200 for non-prize earning runners.
For Three-Years-Old and Upwards. Standard Weight for Age. (GROUP 2).
Race Time: 2:25pm
Jockeys
Horse	Barrier	Rating	Weight	Jockey	Trainer
1.TRIPLE HONOUR (NZ)	2	105	58.5	Glen Boss	Chris Waller
2.MENTALITY	4	111	58.5	Darren Beadman	John Hawkes
3.REIGNING TO WIN	3	104	58.5	Hugh Bowman	John O'Shea
4.CAPTAIN BAX	1	102.5	58.5	Tim Clark	Kris Lees
5.HURRIED CHOICE	5	99	56.5	Jeff Lloyd	David Payne

Barrabucci continues to impress with an effortless win yesterday at Canterbury. It is the colt by More Than Ready, second win from as many starts after his first start impressive win at Newcastle.

Barrabucci drew ideally in barrier 1 and jockey Hugh Bowman elected to keep out of the leaders speed battle and rode patiently behind the leaders. The flashy black colt was held up momentarily coming around the home turn but added by a top hoop in Bowman, forced his way into the clear to sprint quickly and win comfortably.

Speaking from the mounting yard after the race, Kris Lees said, “I think this bloke has all the makings of being a nice horse. He has always shown me something but you still need to do it race day and two from two sure has me excited. We will probably give him one more run then a let up and look at something later on for him.”

The stable previously raced Barrabucci’s mother, Punt On Danehill and Kris added, “I liked the family and we brought this bloke for some good clients of the stable.”

Kris declared “this is his level” and will look for similar races over the coming weeks and the Premiere at Rosehill in a fortnight looming as a possible next step. "I think he is starting to earn himself a trip to Melbourne over the spring but we will take one step at a time and look at the Group 3 Premier in a couple weeks and if he runs well again I may give him a little let up then aim him for some of those Group3 races in Melbourne"

Lees Racing continues to establish itself has the state’s leading provincial thoroughbred  training stable when clinching the 2007/08 Newcastle and Provincial Training Premierships. Since Kris took over from his late father, Max the stable has consolidated its reputation of training winners in all the States Metropolitan, Provincial and Hunter region tracks.

Kris won his home track at Broadmeadow premiership by a commanding 9 wins and also secured the Provincial premiership by beating the powerful Waterhouse stable by 1 win.  The wins where achieved with an impressive strike rate and demonstrate the stables future looks bright under the watchful eye of Kris.

Kris is standing up to the pressures of running a successful stable and has developed respect from his peers in his own right. He is showing the way as a young trainer who is adapting to the necessary key areas required to by a Group 1 thoroughbred stable.

“I couldn’t be happier with the past 12 months. We have come through EI well and to have had so many winners for all our owners is fantastic, and all the hard work has been well well worth it. The win of Samantha Miss was the highlight and also very special as it is owned by Ron Croghan who has been a long term client of ours and has also put some much into racing and been a great supporter of mine.”

The stable also achieved some impressive statistics with its overall performance with winners to runners and the total prize money won, which makes it one of the most successful thoroughbred racing stables in the country. This is all achieved from it provincial base at Newcastle and continues to demonstrate that it can compete at all levels with the bigger metropolitan stables.

“I am thrilled to win my home track premiership and also believe being the leading NSW Provincial stable is recognition of the fantastic staff I have and loyal owners in which we have enjoyed valuable support from. The past 12 months have been great but its back to work early in the morning and to get runners ready for the coming weeks and the upcoming spring. We have some lovely horses in the stable such as County Tyrone, Samantha Miss, Absolutely Fabulous, Litter and Captain Bax together with some nice young horses coming through. So as much as I can reflect back on such a great season, it’s about forging forward and making sure the stable continues to grow is my main focus for this new season”.