BLINKERS COME OFF RIVELLINO FOR GUINEAS ASSIGNMENT

KRIS Lees is banking on an important gear change helping Rivellino “jump” into Group 1 company ay Caulfield tomorrow.

The leading Newcastle trainer has opted to race this year’s Inglis Millennium winner without blinkers in the $3m Caulfield Guineas (1600m).

“I’m hoping taking blinkers off will enable Rivellino to jump cleanly,” Lees said this morning.

“If he can do that, he is going to give himself every chance from an inside draw.

“I feel he is looking for the 1600m, and we’ve got Craig Williams on board.

”Rivellino has been in Melbourne for 10 days and settled in well, and galloped at Caulfield last Tuesday morning.”

Williams, 48, has multiple Melbourne Group 1 triumphs to his name (including the Cox Plate, Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup), but is yet to add the Caulfield Guineas to his burgeoning resume.

Rivellino has had three Sydney runs this preparation at 1100m, 1200m and 1400m (all wearing blinkers) to fit him for his Guineas assignment.

Lees is going back south to saddle his talented three-year-old (who was an unlucky fourth in the Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes, 1200, at Rosehill Gardens in March when slowly away from a favorable gate), but has two runners at the corresponding Rosehill Gardens meeting.

Kerrin McEvoy rides Infancy in the Group 3 The Nivison (1200m) against her own sex, and Jay Ford partners his Scone Cup winner Tavi Time in the $1.5m Alan Brown Stakes (1400m).

“Infancy is going well for her return, and has a good first-up record (she won the Group 2 Sapphire Stakes, 1200m at Royal Randwick in April during The Championships),” Lees said.

“I probably would have preferred Randwick to Rosehill (unplaced from two starts there), but nonetheless expect her to race well.

“Tavi Time was terrific on resumption when he came from well back to finish fourth in the Group 3 Cameron Handicap (1500m) at Newcastle last month.

“It’s not ideal coming back slightly in distance and it’s a strong race, but he is in good order and has drawn well.”

The $3m Big Dance (1600m) – which Lees won the inaugural running with Rustic Steel in 2022 – is Tavi Time’s spring target.

“Tomorrow’s race will most likely be his final lead-up to the Big Dance, with a trial in between,” Lees said.

Lees pulled the right rein with Age Of Sail (Aaron Bullock) who took out the Big Dance Eligibility Port Macquarie Cup (2000m) instead of a heading to a Benchmark 88 Handicap over the same distance at Rosehill.

French import Valimi has come good in Queensland, and is chasing a hat-trick at Eagle Farm tomorrow, in the Benchmark 80 Handicap (1800m).

The six-year-old gelding won midweek Class 3 Plates over 1710m at Ipswich on September 10, and then 1830m at Eagle Farm a fortnight later.

“He is up in class tomorrow, but at least has a good draw from the tricky 1800m start at Eagle Farm, and apprentice Jace McMurray takes 3kg off his back,” Lees said.

. Lees has kept both Changingoftheguard and Adelaide River in the latest round of third acceptances for next Saturday’s $5m Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m).

However, whilst he has booked Jordan Childs for Adelaide River, he says Changingoftheguard is doubtful to run en route to the $10m Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 4, with either next Saturday’s Group 3 ATC St Leger Stakes (2600m) at Randwick or Group 3 Geelong Cup (2400m) four days later preferred options.

Story John Curtis, October 10, 2025