SYDNEY CUP WINNER READY TO TRIAL AT HOME ON MONDAY
NEWCASTLE’S Horse Of The Year Changingoftheguard is on the Melbourne Cup trail again.
This year’s Sydney Cup winner will contest a 1200m Open trial at Newcastle on Monday morning.
“It will be a soft trial, but it’s a good starting point to get him going,” Kris Lees said this morning.
“I’m happy with the way he is coming up.
“Changingoftheguard is still a few weeks away from resuming, and it may be in a race such as the Group 3 Premiers Cup (2000m) at Royal Randwick on August 22.
“Obviously we’re hoping to have another crack at the Melbourne Cup (at Flemington on November 4).”
Changingoftheguard finished in the “top 10” when ninth in Half Yours’ $10m Melbourne Cup (3200m) last November before winning the Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) at Randwick in April.
That victory earned him Newcastle Jockey Club’s Horse OfThe Year award for the 2025-26 season, which ends today.
Whilst Lees hasn’t ruled out a start in the Group 3 $300,000 Newcastle Gold Cup (2300m) at Broadmeadow on September 18, he says it is unlikely at this stage.
Changingoftheguard will turn eight tomorrow when the new season begins, and his younger stablemate Rivellino, who will become a four-year-old, also will trial at home on Monday.
Rivellino will contest an 800m Open heat along with other Lees’ horses Infancy, Issy’s Star and She’s Extra.
Lees finished the metropolitan season last Saturday with an interstate double; scoring with Hawker Hall at Randwick and Misato at Eagle Farm.
“Hawker Hall has come through the race well, but I will space his runs,” he said.
“Misato is a promising filly and has gone for a spell after winning two of her only three starts in Queensland.”
Lees withdrew last start dynamic Kensington 1400m winner Miss Busslinger from Randwick last Saturday when she drew poorly to wait for tomorrow’s Benchmark 78 Handicap (1400m) at Rosehill against her own sex.
She has struck a small field, and stable apprentice Will Stanley’s 3kg claim lessens her impost to 57kg.
“Miss Busslinger has been up for a long time, but I don’t do a lot with her in terms of galloping between runs,” Lees said.
“She goes to the farm and on the water walker, and is holding her condition well.”
Whilst Miss Busslinger is Lees’ sole Sydney runner, last start Grafton carnival winner Barazin is his sole representative at Doomben in the Open Handicap (2030m), and Ron Stewart has the mount.
“Barazin was really good at Grafton, and whilst he goes up in class, he can run well again with the minimum weight (53kg).”
Oakfield Iowa (Super Maiden Plate, 1400m) and FrankelySublime (Provincial Class 1 Handicap, 1200m) are Lees’ two runners at Newcastle tomorrow.
Aaron Bullock rides Oakfield Iowa, and Andrew Gibbons has the Frankely Sublime mount.
“Oakfield Iowa is a nice filly and lightly raced to date,” Lees said.
“She has taken improvement from her first-up second at Wyong a month ago, and gets her chance to break through from the rails barrier (the rail is TRUE from the 400m to winning post, and out 3m for the remainder of the track).
“On the other hand, Frankely Sublime hasn’t drawn the best, and is going to need to rely on a good tempo to get her chance.”
Champion jockey James McDonald will be a star attraction at Wyong’s Sunday meeting.
McDonald has taken two rides for Chris Waller; debutante Endeavour in the 3YO Maiden Plate (1200m) and Steel Will in the Maiden Handicap (1100m).
. Kembla Grange co-trainers Mitch Beer and George Carpenter didn’t need to win a race at Illawarra Turf Club’s season closer yesterday at the Illawarra Grange track – but they did just to be sure.
Team Beer snared the Provincial Benchmark 68 Handicap (1200m) with $2.90 favorite Heuristic, ridden by Sydney’s champion apprentice Siena Grima.
That was the duo’s 17th winner for the season to take both the LOCAL trainers’ premiership, and ALL TRAINERS’ title with 100 points.
Keagan Latham and Mollie Fitzgerald won the respective JOCKEYS and APPRENTICE premierships, and Diane Poidevin Laine’s mare Audenzia is the ITC’s Horse Of TheYear.
STORY JOHN CURTIS, JULY 31, 2026
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