Group 1 winners to Lees

The Everest hope In Her Time (Time Thief) and fellow Group 1 winner El Dorado Dreaming (Ilovethiscity) have transferred from suspended trainer Ben Smith to Kris Lees’ stable.

Racing NSW stewards suspended Smith after finding him guilty of two charges, one of providing false evidence and one of refusing to give evidence with regard to unlabelled and unidentifiable substances discovered during Tuesday’s raid on his stable.

Smith has appealed the suspension and applied for a stay of proceedings which has not yet been determined.

In the meantime, approval has been given to transfer In Her Time, who won last season’s G1 The Galaxy, so she can gallop at Newcastle on Friday and El Dorado Dreaming can run in Saturday's G2 Tea Rose S.

In Her Time has been chosen to represent the TAB in the $13 million The Everest at Randwick on October 13.

Chief steward Marc Van Gestel said In Her Time and G1 Sires' Produce S., winner El Dorado Dreaming were not the horses involved in the two swab irregularities, which initially prompted the investigation.

Makybe performance to confirm plans

Mick Price is still undecided about the future spring targets for Grunt (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}) and Saturday’s G1 Makybe Diva S., at Flemington will make the picture a whole lot clearer. The Caulfield trainer has given him pass marks in his two runs to date, but is keen to see him on a bigger track.

He will get his wish this weekend with the return to the scene of his impressive victory in last season’s G1 Australian Guineas.

“He’s still a horse that we need to learn more about,” Price said. “He’s a lightly raced four-year-old entire and coming into races like the Turnbull, where do you go from there? Do you go Caulfield Cup or do you go Caulfield Stakes into the Cox Plate?

“We need to see what the opposition is doing and how his form is. Whether he is a Caulfield Cup-Melbourne Cup type of horse remains to be seen.

“We just need to see him show up in the Makybe Diva and draw a gate. I think from here, given the races get out in distance, you will start to see him improve.”

Group winner in paddock

Last-start G2 Furious S., winner Pure Elation (I Am Invincible) has been ruled out of the spring.

The 3-year-old’s Randwick victory, the third of her six start-career, had propelled her to the top of betting for the G1 Thousand Guineas before she suffered a knee injury.

Pure Elation, who also won last season’s G2 Percy Sykes S., was a $320,000 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale purchase by agent Paul Moroney on behalf of Sir Own Glenn’s Go Bloodstock.

She is out of Rosa’s Spur (Flying Spur), who won twice including the Listed Cap d’Antibes S.

Filly’s black type programme confirmed

Talented filly Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ} is on a path to tackle the best 3-year-olds in New Zealand.

She won for the second time in her three starts career when she thumped her Rating 65 rivals in Wednesday’s New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance Pearl Series Race at Matamata.

“She was pretty green and was being scrubbed up, but when she got into the clear she went bang,” trainer Nick Bishara said.

“The plan is to get to the Hawke’s Bay Guineas and then maybe the Sarten Memorial and the New Zealand 1000 Guineas.”

Verry Elleegant has also come to the attention of overseas parties, but so far deals have fallen through.

2YO trial day on agenda

Racing Queensland will work with trainers for a return to a major 2-year-olds trial day.

For many years, up to 30 heats on the same day were held at Eagle Farm in the lead-up to the early-season juvenile races.

With the emphasis in Queensland now on the Magic Millions carnival in January, the number of juveniles in work early has dropped off and the staging of a main trials day was shelved.

The secretary of the Queensland branch of the Australian Trainers Association, Cameron Partington, said he hoped the issue can be raised at a meeting with Racing Queensland.

“We can see the benefits of a day when all 2-year-olds can trial. It gives punters a chance to line up trial form and it generates publicity in what is usually a low-key time of the year,” he said.

Racing Queensland's Racing Manager Simon Stout said RQ would be happy to work with trainers.

First strike for partnership

A new training partnership produced their first success at Matamata on Wednesday when one of the country’s better performed maidens shed her novice tag.

Husband and wife Ken and Bev Kelso were joined by the experienced Mark Donoghue at the beginning of the season and Adis (NZ) (Mastercraftsman {IRE}) got them underway when she got home well to win the Super Liquor 1400.

“It’s long overdue, she’s got ability and she’s had a few niggling issues that she’s over,” Ken Kelso said. “It’s the first winner for the partnership, but we haven’t had many runners. Mark can ride work and he’s a big asset.”

Adis was making her ninth appearance and victory and as a 3-year-old she finished runner-up in the G2 Royal S. She is from the family of the G1 George Main S., winner Ma Chiquita (NZ) (Last Tango {IRE}) and the G1 Captain Cook S., winner Jury’s Out (NZ) (Faltaat {USA}).