LEES’ FOCUS FIRMLY ON GOLDEN ROSE WITH TALENTED COLT
KRIS Lees has erased any worries about his Golden Rose Stakes hope Under Focus being slowly away at his lead-up run.
Having his third run this preparation, the lightly-raced Under Focus lines up in the $1m 1400m feature for three-year-olds at Rosehill Gardens as the leading Newcastle trainer seeks a 20th Group 1 triumph.
Under Focus followed an excellent first-up sixth, coming from well back, in the Listed Rosebud (1100m) at Rosehill on August 15, with another eye-catching third to Warwoven in the Group 2 Run To The Rose (1200m) at the same track a fortnight ago after a tick-over Gosford trial in between.
“Under Focus missed the start by a half-length in the Run To The Rose, then got a squeeze just afterwards,” Lees said this morning.
“He has never done it before, so I’m not really concerned.
“Under Focus is in great order, and deserves his chance in a Group 1.”
Lees’ former apprentice Dylan Gibbons, now based in Sydney as a senior jockey, has ridden the colt in both runs this preparation, and continues his association with him tomorrow.
Whilst Under Focus has never raced beyond 1200m in his five career starts, Lees believes the Too Darn Hot colt will handle the 1400m.
“Everything he has done suggests it won’t be a problem,” Lees said.
“But we can always come back to 1200m if he doesn’t manage the extra 200m.”
Lees also has decided to put ear muffs pre-race on Under Focus tomorrow.
“It’s a big day and I want to make sure he is settled,” he explained.
Lees finished third with favorite Graff (Jason Collett) in the 2018 Golden Rose, and says there are similarities between both he and Under Focus.
“I have just watched the replay and Graff was unlucky not to have beaten The Autumn Sun that day,” he said.
“He was posted wide and was only a length away at the finish.
“Under Focus is also a very nice colt, and I’m sure he will run well tomorrow.”
Lees has listed stablemate Cantiamo as an unlikely runner in the Benchmark 78 Handicap (1100m) even though already there are a heap of withdrawals.
Cantiamo, who has undergone upper airway surgery, hasn’t raced since the Scone carnival in mid May when unplaced in the Listed Denise’s Joy Stakes (1100m).
She has won four of her nine starts and has trialled well twice in preparation for her return.
“Cantiamo drew poorly and even though there are a lot of scratchings, we might wait for another day,” Lees said.
Under Focus may be Lees’ sole metropolitan representative tomorrow as Cutepi, another victim of a poor draw, has been withdrawn from a Benchmark 72 Handicap (1300m) at the Toowoomba Cup meeting, and Little Beginnings is unlikely to line up there in the Class 6 Handicap (1300m).
Meanwhile, Lees has kept Sydney Cup winner Changingoftheguard in the first acceptances for the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 17, and will also be amongst the entries when they are taken on Monday morning for the Group 2 The Metropolitan (2400m) at Royal Randwick next Saturday.
Changingoftheguard pulled up with a few coughs after finishing sixth of seven in last Friday’s Group 3 Newcastle Gold Cup (2300m), and has been under treatment.
“We’ll make a decision on Tuesday morning after he works as to which way we go,” Lees said.
STORY JOHN CURTIS, SEPTEMBER 25, 2026 - PICS BRADLEY PHOTOS
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