By Michael Cox
Under-rated miler Le Romain hasn't polled well in All-Star voting so far but trainer Kris Lees says the 6-year-old deserves a spot in the $5million race. TDN AusNZ caught up with Lees at the Newcastle trials to hear how his stars were progressing into Autumn.
Kris Lees is hopeful Le Romain (Hard Spun {USA}) finds his way into the inaugural All-Star Mile one way or another but it might take a hometown push from parochial Novocastrians to get the honest gelding there by public vote.
A barrier trial on his home track at Newcastle on Tuesday has Le Romain close to returning for a campaign aimed at Melbourne's $5million mile on March 16 at Flemington, but Lee's 6-year-old was only hovering at around 20th in voting late on Tuesday.
Le Romain
"We haven't started our campaign yet but we might have to rally the troops on Twitter," Lees said.
"I think the race is an ideal option for him, he is a proven miler at Flemington and a proven weight-for-age competitor." - Trainer, Kris Lees
A public vote will decide 10 of the runners for the world's richest mile race but officials will also choose four "wild card" runners for the remaining places in the field, which Lees hopes is a safe enough fall back option.
"I think the race is an ideal option for him, he is a proven miler at Flemington and a proven weight-for-age competitor, so I think he profiles like a genuine chance. If he didn't get voted in, you'd think he would be close to being in the top four," Lees said after Le Romain's trial on Broadmeadow's Beaumont track.
Trainer, Kris Lees
"He jumped well and wanted to be there, and that's what you want to see from an older horse like him. He just went through the motions late, that's as good as he can trial over 1000m."
Kicking off the campaign
Le Romain will kick off his campaign in the G2 Expressway Stakes at Rosehill on February 2 or a week later in the G1 CF Orr Stakes at Caulfield.
It could be a huge autumn for Lees and most of his best were on show at Broadmeadow, including Miss Fabulass, the rising star-filly by Frankel (GB) and out of Lee's multiple G1-winner Samantha Miss (Redoute's Choice).
Miss Fabulass trialed like a horse keen to go to the races, hitting the line under a stranglehold from Kerrin McEvoy, who made the trip up the F3 to partner the stable stars.
Miss Fabulass
"She is always a touch aggressive but I have seen her worse, they didn't go that quick in the trial so I am not worried about that. It was a nice trial," Lees said, with the G2 Light Fingers Stakes on February 16 the scheduled starting point for what could be an exciting preparation.
"She is always a touch aggressive but I have seen her worse." - Kris Lees
Miss Fabulass isn't Lees' only 3-year-old daughter of Frankel, with untapped talent Frankely Awesome catching the eye during a limited spring campaign. Frankely Awesome was an impressive two-time winner on the provincial circuit before catching a wide draw in the G1 Spring Champion Stakes and will resume with a view to contesting the G1 Australian Oaks.
"With a 3-year-old filly like her you aim for the Oaks, but if it becomes clear she isn't going to get the distance you come back a peg." - Kris Lees
"I probably threw her to the wolves a bit going to the Spring Champion Stakes but she acquitted herself quite well," Lees said. "She is aimed towards the Australian Oaks but she will probably start off in a benchmark race or a Class 2 here in Newcastle. With a 3-year-old filly like her you aim for the Oaks, but if it becomes clear she isn't going to get the distance you come back a peg. She will be nominated for all of the big races and a race like the G1 Coolmoore Classic might not be beyond her. She is a nice filly and the trial was fine."
Frankel
Frankely Awesome could find herself matched against stablemate Invincible Gem (I Am Invincible) in the Coolmore after she completed a nice hit-out.
Gooree Stud's 3-year-old Gem Song (Your Song) was one of the finds of the spring for Lees but bad luck meant the colt missed his grand final in the G1 Caulfield Guineas.
"He had a temperature spike before the Guineas so we pulled the pin, that was our target race so we put him away. He has a nice race in him and if he ever strikes a soft track he will take another step."
El Dorado Dreaming (Ilovethiscity) won a G1 Sires Produce for banned trainer Ben Smith and Lees had little time to plot a path through the sprint carnival with the classy filly when she arrived on his doorstep in September.
Still, she was placed three times and now that Lees has sent her to the paddock and has a full preparation with which to work with her he believes she could again triumph at top level.
"She was always a touch behind the eight ball in the spring, but her last two runs were satisfactory." - Kris Lees
"She was always a touch behind the eight ball in the spring, but her last two runs were satisfactory," Lees said, picking out a clash with Miss Fabulass in the G2 Light Fingers as her first-up target. "We've chosen a shorter race and going off that trial this morning, she is in for a real good prep. She is another that will appreciate a bit of soft ground come autumn time."
Lees had 41-horses trial across the marathon 18 heat session, but he has opted for private jump-outs for speedy pair In Her Time (Time Thief) and Graff (Star Witness) ahead of their shot at the G1 Lightning Stakes at Flemington on February 16.
