Kris Lees to have three Everest runners
Trainer Kris Lees will now have three runners in the $13 million Everest at Randwick.
From not having a runner in the $13 million Everest a few weeks ago, trainer Kris Lees will now have three while Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott will have none.
After a dramatic day on Tuesday during which the Waterhouse and Bott-trained English and Invincible Star were ruled out, the Lees-trained Le Romain cemented his place, joining stablemates In Her Time and Graff.
Triple Group One winner Le Romain will run in the slot held by GPI Racing which had picked Invincible Star.
Lees’ other runners will be In Her Time who he inherited from suspended trainer Ben Smith and three-year-old Graff who takes the slot held by Max Whitby and Neil Werrett.
Whitby and Werrett had originally selected Menari who was retired because of injury and sealed the deal with Golden Rose placegetter Graff’s owner Alan Bell on Sunday.
The Kelly family, owners of the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained mare, decided she should not run after she pulled up slightly lame following a jump-out at Randwick.
English finished last of four runners in Monday’s hit-out and Racing NSW chief veterinary surgeon Toby Koenig subsequently diagnosed her as grade 1/5 lame.
She was to run in the slot held by a group headed by Damion Flower who is still considering his options.
Invincible Star was assessed as 3/5 lame by Koenig who assessed her on Monday following her unplaced run in the Premiere Stakes.
Tulloch Lodge has indicated both mares could run in the Group Three Sydney Stakes on Everest day, October 13, but they will need to be passed fit by Racing NSW.
The Australian Turf Club is expected to announce on Wednesday which horse will run in its name with connections pulling the pin on Nature Strip after his failure in Friday night’s Group One Moir Stakes won by Viddora.
Trainer Lloyd Kennewell believes Viddora deserves a slot but so far he has been unable to negotiate a suitable deal.
The Anthony Freedman-trained Santa Ana Lane and Shoals, who ran one-two in Saturday’s Premiere Stakes, are $7 equal favourites for The Everest alongside the Gerald Ryan-trained Trapeze Artist.