Newcastle trainer Kris Lees harbours no illusions about causing an upset in the $10 million Golden Eagle, but he holds a strong belief that his runners Rivellino and Night Agent can outperform their significant odds and secure valuable prizemoney for their connections.
As of Thursday, both horses were listed at $101 by bookmakers, with the outstanding mare Sheza Alibi commanding favouritism at $1.80 in the market.
Given that the first ten horses across the finish line will earn between $5.25 million for the winner and $100,000 for ninth place, Lees is optimistic that Rivellino and Night Agent are both in good enough form to be competitive for these placings.
The Newcastle-based trainer anticipates a demanding afternoon, potentially featuring Tavi Time in the $750,000 Sydney Gold Cup (2000m) on the Golden Eagle undercard. Additionally, the Yulong-owned colt Under Focus is slated to compete in the prestigious, stallion-making Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) in Melbourne.
“Big day. They’re all long odds but it’s big prizemoney and I think they’re all capable of running well,” Lees stated.
“Night Agent, we’re probably getting him to this level a bit quickly. He’s not well placed in the race, but he’s a quality horse and he’s silly odds.
“He’s won one race this preparation, but he is a good horse, so we have to give him his chance. We can always come back in grade.”
Night Agent navigated a challenging wide run from a difficult draw in the Silver Eagle (1300m) but showed resilience. Rivellino also finished strongly in the same race, marking his return after undergoing throat surgery.
In the autumn, Rivellino was competitive against some of the top colts of his age group in stakes races. As an entire, he is expected to be fitter for his initial run back.
“He’s another one who, off that first-up, he can easily earn a nice cheque,” Lees commented.
“I don’t think he can beat the favourite, but I’m happy to give him his chance to run well.
“They can both run better than where they sit in the lines of betting.”
Under Focus is currently priced at $17 for the Coolmore Stud Stakes. He has been kept fresh since his third-place finishes behind Warwoven in both the Run To The Rose (1200m) and the Golden Rose (1400m).
Lees indicated that the three-year-old has settled in well in Melbourne and experienced straight-track racing during a jump-out at Flemington last Friday. However, the trainer expressed some concern regarding his draw in barrier one.
“Really happy with him. He’s trialled well down the straight, and he worked well down the straight on Tuesday,” Lees said.
“It will be five weeks between runs, but the Golden Rose form looks to be standing up well.
“The draw doesn’t look good at this stage, but time will tell. He’s drawn one… we’ll see how that plays out.”
For those looking to place a wager on the main event, consider exploring the extensive racing odds available at Australian betting sites.