Kris Lees and Aaron Bullock’s partnership will edge closer to 200 if the dynamic duo’s bid for a treble at Wyong on Sunday is successful.
The pair head into this weekend’s Central Coast meeting on 189 at a phenomenal strike-rate of 27.6 per cent.
Both Lees and Bullock are presently in fourth place respectively in the Australian Trainer and Jockey Premiership for the 2022/23 season.
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Bullock has the honour and distinction of the jockey with the best winning strike-rate in the nation this season – a remarkable 27.5 per cent.
Bullock’s three rides for Lees at Wyong on Sunday are all likely to start favourites in their respective races namely Zanzibar Gem, Brudenell and Endorphins.
Bullock is ‘one for one’ on former Lindsay Park resident Zanzibar Gem having steered her to a comprehensive Lees stable debut win at Muswellbrook’s annual Melbourne Cup day meeting.
‘’Zanzibar Gem has got a bit of upside,’’ Lees says. ‘’She was good first time off a long break and the other day at Warwick Farm, J-Mac thought she had excuses. She stepped a bit slow and that probably cost her but she was still good late.
‘’She has a tricky gate on Sunday but I suppose with a bit of moisture around it mightn’t be as bad a scenario and she has got a good finish.’’
Lees and Bullock will be chasing an early double on Sunday’s card with the handsome gelding Brudenell aiming for his third win at start five.
The son of Russian Revolution is (cleverly) named in memory of James Brudenell who led the famous Charge of the Light Brigade during the Crimean War.
On top of that, Brudenell was the 7th Earl of Cardigan – Lees’s gelding’s mother was Knit ‘N’ Purl.
‘’He is a really nice horse,’’ said Lees.
‘’He is only three and he is still very immature from a mental perspective so I am just trying to continue to try and place him right. Again, it’s another tricky gate but it is the right race for him and as a I said, at a soft Wyong, it might not be the worst draw.’’
Brudenell was purchased by Lees for $80,000 at the 2021 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
No surprise there given that Lees trained the Macquarie Stud bred geldings’ mother and grand-dam, Zingaling, whilst his legendary father Max put the polish on the third dam – Done That
Lees will have a two-pronged attack on the last race on the program via the in-form Endorphins and the well-bred Velvet Lady.
‘’Endorphins is racing well,’’ he said. ‘’I thought she was home the other day at Warwick Farm; she was really good.
‘’Velvet Lady just had excuses the other day at Coffs.
‘’ She won’t run if the track got real heavy but she’s certainly capable of better than what her form reads at the moment.
‘’We ran her in an Oaks so she has got the ability if we can coax it out of her.’’
BEST BETS
BEST BET
Race 1 No. 5: Zanzibar Gem
Count her somewhat unlucky not to have won at the midweeks last start. Has a bad draw but a lot of talent.
NEXT BEST
Race 2: Brudenell
Light-raced and progressive three-year-old from the Kris Lees stable who is ideally placed provided he can overcome the wide draw.
VALUE
Race 3 No. 8: Edgewise
Has more ability than a 15-start maiden. Never raised a sweat in her trial. Can figure here.
QUADDIE
Race 4: 4
Race 5: 3,14
Race 6: 1,4
Race 7: 4
JOCKEY TO FOLLOW
Aaron Bullock could set up a winning break in Sunday’s TAB Jockeys Challenge with major players in the first two races for Kris Lees.
INSIDE MAIL
RACE 1
Zanzibar Gem turned in three good runs at Caulfield, Flemington and Moonee Valley for the Hayes crew before she was bought on-line by her current owner and given to Kris Lees. The daughter of Written Tycoon romped in at Muswellbrook on Melbourne Cup day then had a few excuses when a highly commendable, and close, second at the midweeks. Drawn wide but might be too good for them. Chipper could be saved for a Midway at Gosford on Wednesday leaving it to his stablemate Oxford Vision to run his usual honest race.
Bet: Zanzibar Gem to win
RACE 2
Brudenell can give Kris Lees and Aaron Bullock an early double today. This well-bred son of Russian Revolution has won two of his four starts and was fourth in town at another up against the likes of Shadow Vampire and Iowna Merc. His biggest challenge is the draw but other than that, it’s a case of ‘stars align’. Zenti is another lightly-raced type who hasn’t put a foot wrong in his four starts. He has the dual advantages of a good draw and is racing at home. Aspen Chase has claims as does the now gelded Last Bid Liam.
Bet: Brudenell to win, exacta 5 to beat 2
RACE 3
Edgewise is a much better horse with considerably better prospects of winning today than one who is at present, a 15 start maiden. Keep in mind that she has placed five times and even when she is out of a place, she is invariably close enough. Trivia time; her fourth dam is Sunshine Sally who ran in a Golden Slipper and a Melbourne Cup! Shigeru has placed at three of his six starts and comes off a close fourth (led) in a pretty strong maiden at Muswellbrook as recently as Jan 16. Red Cobra is a big watch; a local and has Bullock on.
Bet: Edgewise each-way
RACE 4
Lim’s Synergy was $3.60 into $3.10 for good reason when he made his debut at Nowra on Jan 8. He ran a close second but two things are vital to note. One is that the winner, Pennypacker, goes really well. Two, swap their runs and no doubt on the world, Lim’s Synergy wins. This horse was scratched from Kembla yesterday. Godolphin filly Moonflower is by Lonhro and is a sister-in-blood to the Randwick Guineas winner, Kementari. Trialled up well enough to play a role here. Fiancetto should run well off the trials.
Bet: Lim’s Synergy to win, exacta 5 to beat 13
RACE 5
Competition is a royally-bred Godolphin gelding. His dam is 2009 Queen of The Turf winner Neroli and he is from the same family as the great Riverina Charm. As for the horse himself, he was good first-up, very good second-up and should just deadset peak this afternoon. Drawn well and gets to a mile now which is what he is bred for. Speaking of breeding, Chris Waller’s filly Stella Simone’s fifth dam is the mighty Three Troika’s who won the French Oaks and 1000 Guineas and beat Troy in the Arc de Triomphe. Mile suits.
Bet: Competition to win, Stella Simone each-way, quinella 3,14, exacta 3 to beat 14
RACE 6
Real Peace a $30,000 yearling with $230,000 in the bank has only won 3 from 31 but he has been pretty unlucky at times and is often beholden to be tempo, luck, good or bad rides, etc etc. He probably should have won at least at Rosehill this preparation. Whatever the case, this is his race now; back to 1600m, blinkers on again, good jockey. Crowned By Aces has won three of nine, one of them was a Nowra maiden mile two starts ago which was just 16-days prior to his hugely honourable fifth at Warwick Farm less than two-lengths from the winner.
Bet: Real Peace to win, quinella 1,4
RACE 7
Endorphins could be the horse that gets Aaron Bullock over the line in the TAB Jockeys Challenge. Hopefully he would have already won the first two races on the card for Kris Lees and this daughter of Sebring makes it three. As for her own form, she has raced 30 times for four wins, seven seconds a third. Note that one of those seconds came as recently as Jan 4 when she was home for all money at the Farm but was ambushed late. Rock The Bells has a wide draw but is fit for the 2100m. Brave Angel won the 2021 1000 Guineas at Ascot in WA.
Bet: Endorphins to win
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