A potential entry in the Kindergarten Stakes is on the cards for the lightly raced colt Under Focus following his victory on Randwick’s Kensington track, which improved on his debut runner-up effort.
The Yulong-owned youngster, purchased for $300,000 at the Easter yearling sale, is sired by Too Darn Hot from an unraced full sister to Group placegetter Condor, and with such a promising pedigree, trainer Kris Lees wants to step him up into stronger competition.
He indicated that the Group 3 Kindergarten Stakes (1100m) at Randwick on April 4 could be next, depending on Under Focus’s recovery from his win in Wednesday’s 2026 Keeneland Breeders’ Cup Handicap (1100m).
“I’d say we’d have to look at it. It’s a week-and-a-half away,” Lees said.
“We’ll see how he pulls up and speak to the Yulong team, but they’ve got a really nice horse going forward.”
Under Focus faced tough conditions at the start, stuck wide in three and four positions before jockey Tyler Schiller pushed him up to track the leader externally.
In the straight, he closed on the frontrunner and powered clear to beat Drumfire by 1-1/2 lengths, with Peyton two lengths further back in third.
“He had to do a little bit of work early, so I thought there was some merit to the win,” Lees said.
“Pre-race it looked a nice race with a bit of trial form and some exposed racehorses. He’s done it both ends so it was a good effort.”
The fillies’ two-year-old event went to Reachin’ Out, prepared by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, who dictated from the front and drew away to win by four lengths from the Lees-trained She’s Extra.
Jockey Regan Bayliss was impressed by the debut effort from the filly.
“Whatever she was going to do today she was going to improve on in leaps and bounds, so that’s why it was such an impressive win,” Bayliss said.
“She really let go today and never let anything get near her.”
Although Waterhouse and Bott were absent from the track to outline future moves, Reachin’ Out is nominated for the Group 2 Percy Sykes Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on April 11.
Check out the latest Australian betting sites for racing betting markets ahead of the Kindergarten Stakes.