Newcastle trainer looks for cups near and far with imported stayers
By Chris Roots
Newcastle trainer Kris Lees might be looking towards two different cups later in the spring with former European stayers Age Of Sail and Changingoftheguard, which line up at Randwick on Saturday.
The Lloyd Williams-owned Changingoftheguard will make his first appearance in a year and his Australian debut in the Premier’s Cup Prelude and will be given his chance to get a Melbourne Cup.
Age Of Sail just fails to run down Kapakiri at Rosehill last start.Credit: Getty Images
His Europe form suggests that he will need further than the 1800m around Randwick. He was fifth in the Epsom Derby and won the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot as a three-year-old before running third in the 2023 Hardwicke Stakes at his last start. All of those races were around the 2400m trip in good Europe staying company.
“It is good to get a horse with his profile and it will be a day out for him after a year off on Saturday,” Lees said. “He is certainly a nice horse. We will learn a bit more about him from this run and when he gets out further in trip.
“We are looking towards a race like the Archer in Melbourne, but he has to show us that he is ready for that this time in.”
Changingoftheguard has been kept safe in betting at $12 in the Premier’s Cup Prelude, while punters’ expectations and those of Lees are much higher for Age Of Sail earlier in the afternoon.
The son of Frankel won on his Australian debut at mile last year and hasn’t run a bad race since being placed at all four runs. He only got clear late last time when a beaten favourite in a photo by Kapakiri over the 2400m trip, which he faces again on Saturday.
“We would like to get Age Of Sail back winning because he has crept up in the rating running good races without winning,” Lees said. “He would be a good Newcastle Cup horse, and he is getting to that sort of trip now where he can be at his best.”
Age Of Sail will be asked to lump 61kg in the benchmark 78 and has been well-supported at $2.10 with bookmakers.
“I think everyone saw his last run and knows that he will run the trip out,” Lees said. “He just needs luck at the right time.”
Lees also has Loch Eagle resuming in the feature, the Missile Stakes, where the set weights and penalties conditions made it a better option than a handicap. While the Ingham winner has strong first-up form, Lees admitted he will be tested at group 2 level over 1200m.
“He needs to get to at least 1400m these days and he is taking on a couple of sharp ones in the Missile,” Lees said. “Given his rating, to start here was the right choice. I think he is in for a good preparation and will be running on late.”
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