Zestful has gone to Queensland to chase black type at the Gold Coast on Saturday.
Kris Lees has opted to run the talented mare in the $150,000 Listed Silk Stocking (1200m), and sent her by float to the Gold Coast (Wednesday) night.
He had also accepted with her at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday in the Benchmark 78 Handicap (1100m) against her own sex, where she had 61.5kg against 12 rivals.
The Silk Stocking is also restricted to fillies and mares, and run under Quality conditions.
Zestful is on the minimum (54kg) and Lees has booked Jason Collett to take the mount.
Collett is going to the Gold Coast principally to maintain his association with Queensland Oaks contender Imposing Lass in the Bracelet (1800m) for three-year-old fillies.
“Jason hasn’t ridden a lot for me, but he’s a good rider and I’m happy to have him on the mare,” Lees said today.
A daughter of Redoute’s Choice, the lightly-raced Zestful has started only six times for three wins. Two of those victories have been achieved from four starts since joining Lees’ yard at the start of this current campaign.
She won the Gosford heat (1200m) of the Provincial Championships on March 24 and then finished an excellent fourth to stablemate Danish Twist (a winner again at Hawkesbury last Saturday) in the $400,000 Final (1400m) at Royal Randwick on April 9.
Zestful drew the outside barrier (15), but began brilliantly and raced outside another stablemate and leader Powerline (nabbed on the post by Danish Twist).
She didn’t throw in the towel and battled on right to the line.
Saturday’s Silk Stocking is, of course, a step up in class – and her trainer acknowledges this.
“It will be a good test,” Lees said. “We will know where we are at with her afterwards.
“If she shows she is up to this stronger class, there is every likelihood she will stay at the Coast .
“There is another race for her (the $100,000 Bright Shadow Quality, 1200m) at Doomben in a fortnight.”
Lees gave Zestful a brief refresher after her April 9 run at Randwick, and is pleased with her progress since returning to work.
Meanwhile, her more high profile stablemate Le Romain is firmly on track for a Brisbane winter carnival mission.
The Group 1 Randwick Guineas winner will barrier trial as scheduled at Broadmeadow on May 16 and resume against his own age in the $100,000 Listed Queensland Day Stakes (1200m) at Doomben on May 28.
That will be the three-year-old’s sole lead-up to the $1.5m Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) a fortnight later on the new Eagle Farm track.
– Lees Racing
