Prolific producer Hell It’s Hot set to come to the fore again at Canterbury

Racenet’s Shayne O’Cass has spoken to key participants ahead of Monday’s meetings at Canterbury and Muswellbrook.

Flame of Hestia winning recently at Newcastle. Photo: Bradley Photos.

KRIS Lees is eyeing off a stakes race with the 15th foal of broodmare gem Hell It’s Hot having already won feature races with her fifth and 16th numbered offspring respectively.

Lees’ Newcastle HQ has housed three of the former Coalfield flyer’s foals including her In Her Time who won the 2019 Group 1 VRC Lightning Stakes, bookended by placings in the VRC Classic (1200m).

Hell It’s Hot’s youngest foal of racing age is her Yulong Investment owned two-year-old filly Gobi Desert who delivered Kris Lees his first win in the Max Lees Classic (900m) in 2024.

Lees heads to Canterbury on Monday with Flame Of Hestia ($2.90) who is favoured to add to her tally of wins when she contests the Exceedance At Vinery Stud Handicap (1100m).

A $280,000 Yulong Investments purchase at the Magic Millions in 2023, Flame Of Hestia has won two of her three starts, one at Taree last year, the other a six and a half lengths romp at Newcastle on April 1.

“I don’t know that she beat a lot the other day but she put them away well,’’ Lees said.

“She looks to have come in good order.

“She’s got a bit of tenacity and she’s got good speed.”

In Her Time in full flight. Photo: Bradley Photos.

Given her uncommon pace and sustained speed, Flame Of Hestia looks purpose-built for Canterbury with the added advantage of barrier three in Monday’s assignment.

“That gives her the chance to bounce and put herself there,’’ Lees said. “She is going from 900m up to the 1100m, I don’t think that should pose too big of an issue.”

With a pedigree such as it is, a Flame Of Hestia stakes-win would be welcome by all, particularly Yulong who also count the aforementioned dual Group 1 winner In Her Time as one of their own.

She may get that opportunity sooner rather than later.

“(Monday’s race) will show us where we sit,’’ Lees said.

“If she ran well, we’d consider preparing her for the Scone three-year-old fillies stakes race (the Listed Denise’s Joy on May 17) but of course she’d need to be running well here.”

Lees’ only other runner on the Easter Monday card is also a punter’s favourite.

Hawker Hall ($2.30) was even shorter at his one and only start when run down as the odds-on favourite at Hawkesbury’s Christmas Eve meet.

“He did a bit wrong on debut,’’ Lees said.

“He was a bit aggressive going to the barriers and he got on one rein throughout the run but it could have been a bit of fatigue too.

“We gave him a good break off the back of that and he’s had a good grounding for the preparation.

“The (wide) barrier is a little concerning but he has got good speed and he’ll roll across into a forward position and he gets his chance from there.”

Hawker Hall. Photo: Bradley Photos.

Hawker Hall, a cleverly-named food inspired son of I Am Invincible mare Penang, trials like a horse that is destined for races beyond what is essentially ‘midweek fare’ on Monday but there’s no rush, according to Lees.

“A run at a time,’ he said.

“He’s a gelding so there’s no specific plan but I do think he is a nice horse.”

Hawker Hall is one of as many as six James McDonald rides on Monday.

Sydney’s eight-times Premierships winning jockey’s tally of winners at Canterbury currently is 195.

It is unlikely that McDonald will reach his Canterbury double tonne on Monday but he could easily post two milestones in quick succession given he is on 199 at Warwick Farm and one win short of a century on the Kensington track.

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MUSWELLBROOK

LOCAL trainer Justin Bowen is confident he can collect his second successive Lone Pine Charge trophy at Muswellbrook on Monday, only he isn’t sure which of two combatants will deliver.

Bowen won the 2024 renewal with the $31 shot, Upside, bred by his grandmother and trainer Jan.

On Monday, Bowen saddles-up the much more fancied pair, In Spades and Zakor, the latter owned and bred by the family’s matriarch who will be represented herself in the Lone Pine Charge by Iron Hat.

“It is a shame to clash them in a way because I think they’re both going well enough to really go close but it’s just the benchmarks and the way it is so I’ve got no option, “(Justin) Bowen said.

“Hopefully, best case scenario, one of them can get up.”

Zakor, a son of Epaulette, saves his best racing for Muswellbrook.

Zakor winning at Muswellbrook last year. Photo: Bradley Photos.

Two of his four wins have been at the Hunter Valley circuit including the Bowman Sprint (900m) run during the Club’s long standing Melbourne Cup day meeting.

The six-year-old was last seen on September 6 last year, finishing second in the Springtime Handicap (1200m) at Wyong.

Zakor clearly thrived over the intervening period, evidenced by his impressive win in a March 14 trial at Muswellbrook.

“It was really good to see,’’ Bowen said.

“He’d had his break and came back and you’re always a bit dubious I suppose, first-up, even just in trials, to see how they are going to come back but he did it on the bridle, going easy.

“Realistically he is probably the one to beat (on Monday), I think, just with his form and being fresh and first-up on the home-track.

“In Spades on the other hand has the race-day fitness on her side so that always can play a big part in it.

“I can’t see both horses being far away at all.”

Bowen’s other runner at Muswellbrook on Monday is the Pat Farrell, Jan Bowen-owned Atoka which took 26 starts to win a race when successful at Armidale 15-days ago in an 1100m Super Maiden.

“She found the right race, I suppose you could say, but she had a tough run and she still won well,’’ Bowen said.

“It’s her home track, right distance, it’s a similar sort of race really so I think she’ll be putting her best foot forward and she’ll go close to getting two in a row.”

Originally published as Prolific producer Hell It’s Hot set to come to the fore again at Canterbury