Kris Lees has extended his impressive success in the Provincial-Midway Championships Final, securing the $1 million event for the sixth occasion while also filling the first two positions.
The finish mirrored last year’s trifecta but rearranged, as previous runner-up Lord Of Biscay ($3.50 fav) surged clear to beat stable companion Imposant ($21) by three lengths, followed by title defender Matcha Latte ($4) in third.
Lees has triumphed in six of the 12 editions of the Provincial-Midway Championships Final (1400m), which began in 2015 with a minor variation in structure, yet the modest trainer from Newcastle attributed the achievement to his team.
“We’re the biggest stable in the provincials, we’re entitled to have a good representation, but full credit to all the staff at home to get these horses presented on the day and they raced really well,” Lees said.
“He got a perfect run in transit. I was very confident in the run with him. He was getting all the favours he needed, and he reacted well.”
The sole member of the Lees team possibly not grinning was his spouse Kristy, who holds a stake in the placegetter Imposant.
“My wife owns that one. Anyway, she ran well in the race last year, and she has run well again today, so good result,” he said of Imposant.
A horse brought from Europe, Lord Of Biscay required adjustment to local racing but has hit form lately over the last year.
Expect him to target the Tamworth Cup (1400m) on April 24, aiming for qualification into the Big Dance (1600m) at Randwick during Melbourne Cup carnival, where he placed seventh previously.
Top rider James McDonald lauded Lees’ training prowess, noting Lord Of Biscay arrived in peak condition for the big race.
“Kris is a champion. He’s such a good trainer. He knows how to ‘prep’ these horses up,” McDonald said.
“He told me a couple of weeks ago, ‘you want to be riding this horse’. He’s in career-best form, and he felt enormous today.”
Lees’ prior successes in this race include Spangler (2023), Kinloch (2022), Cristal Breeze (2021), Serene Miss (2018) and Danish Twist in 2016.
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