Provincial Championships Final fourth placegetter Zestful will be a two-State acceptor on Saturday.
Kris Lees confirmed this morning that he will accept with the mare at both the Gold Coast and Rosehill Gardens before making a decision on a weekend venue.
Zestful has been entered for the $150,000 Listed Silk Stocking (1200m) against her own sex at the Hollindale Cup meeting at the Gold Coast as well as both the Benchmark 78 Handicap (1100m) and Benchmark 85 Handicap (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens.
The Benchmark 78 is also for fillies and mares, whilst the stronger Benchmark 85 is for all sexes.
“We’ll have a look at the fields when they are declared tomorrow and make up our mind where to go with her,” Lees said this morning.
“Zestful had a slight freshen up after the Provincial Championships, and has done well since returning to the stable.”
A lightly-raced four-year-old by Redoute’s Choice, Zestful has raced only six times for three wins.
She joined Lees’ stable at the beginning of this preparation and has won twice from four starts for her new trainer.
Zestful beat In Her Time and stablemate Powerline in the Gosford heat of the Provincial Championships series on March 24before finishing an excellent fourth from a wide barrier to another stablemate Danish Twist (Powerline was second) in the $400,000 final (1400m) at Royal Randwick on April 9.
Lees’ promising two-year-old Guard Of Honour is on his way back to the races.
The Northern Meteor youngster, a $300,000 purchase at last year’s Magic Million yearling sales at the Gold Coast, impressively won a 845m barrier trial at Wyong yesterday.
Ridden by stable apprentice Sam Clenton, he ran the fastest of the six two-year-old heats at the huge trial session, clocking50.7secs (last 600m in 35.37s).
“I’ll look to trial him again in a couple of weeks before he resumes,” Lees said.
Guard Of Honour won both trials at Cessnock (December 30) and Wyong (January 12) before making his debut in the$150,000 Group 3 Canonbury Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens on January 30.
He was well in commission (starting at $5 after double figure odds were bet) before finishing sixth to Tessera (subsequent Black Opal Stakes winner Defcon was second). He was then given a break.
– Lees Racing
