Quirindi preview: Kris Lees has packed week in NSW before Ingham defence

Kris Lees’ week will end with as many as four runners in Saturday’s $2m The Ingham at Randwick on Saturday but there is plenty to be done elsewhere before then.

Trainer Kris Lees has a big week ahead starting on Tuesday at Quirindi and Ballina. Picture: Jeremy Ng/Getty Image

Kris Lees will unleash a four-strong attack this weekend in an effort to defend his Ingham crown when Randwick hosts the third edition of the multimillion-dollar mile formerly known as the Villiers.

Prior to that, Lees’ string will be spread far and wide across NSW, starting on Tuesday when some head due north to Ballina while others track northwest to Quirindi.

Quirindi is where the lightly-raced and progressive Calga Power travels for a second time, while his stablemates Play It Again and Real Magic make their respective debuts in the QPP Maiden Handicap (1200m).

There might be no more fascinating horse in action at Quirindi on Tuesday than Play It Again.

Bought by her owners Arlington Park Racing for $40,000 at the 2022 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale, Play It Again is bred to win The Everest.

For starters, her sire is Yes Yes Yes, whose win in the 2019 The Everest ushered in the current 1200m course record at Royal Randwick.

That was the same Everest in which the then Lees-trained In Her Time split Redzel and ­Sunlight.

In Her Time, Yes Yes Yes and Play It Again all share broodmare gem Steam Heat as their third dam.

Foaled just two days before Classique Legend’s 2021 Everest win, Play It Again may never make it as far as some of her recentancestors but she did do enough to win her two trials last month, in stark comparison to her two underwhelming trials in the winter.

“She seems to have come back in a lot better order,’’ Lees said. “I want to see her now bring that to the races but she is coming up well.

“It’s a good family and she’s a really good-looking filly as well.

“She will be hard to beat on her trials, for sure.’’

Play It Again’s stablemate Real Magic hasn’t left the same positive impression in her four trials since June this year but is bred to improve with time and racing.

Foaled in New Zealand, Real Magic is a daughter of Lost And Running’s sire Per Incanto out of the mare Beauty Generation’s sire Road To Rock.

“I am just guarded about her at the moment,’’ Lees said. “The trials have been not too inspiring but let’s see what race day brings.’’

Calga Power is on a mission to win back his fans after returning home to Newcastle as a “beaten favourite” when he finished third in an 1100m Class 1 at Quirindi on October 28.

“I still thought he ran well,’’ Lees said. “He was just left a bit vulnerable late and it’s always hard for some reason to win straight off your maiden win.

“It was his third run in the space of a month so I gave him a little freshen off the back of that.

“He’s had a tick-over trial since so he seems to be going to the races in good order.

“He’s had a bit of racing but he is a hardy fellow. I think he will make a nice horse in time.’’

As his name suggests, Calga Power was bred and is raced by Walter Power, whose colours are a familiar sight on racetracks across the state and border, most of them housed at Lees’ Broadmeadow address.

“Walter has been terrific and been in a number of good horses over the years,’’ Lees said. “He’s an absolute pleasure to train for.’’

Lees is aiming to win the stable’s second consecutive The Ingham this weekend with either the defending race holder Loch Eagle, Provincial Championship Final winner Spangler, inaugural The Big Dance winner Rustic Steel or the mercurial Tavi Time.

Tell-tale signs for Robl hope

Reigning Darwin Cup-winning trainer Peter Robl will be back in his home state of NSW on Wednesday with a young Queensland horse who is going places.

Tell No Gossip, a lightly-raced son of Blue Diamond winner Flying Artie, left a positive and lasting impression on Robl at the end of his short, sharp two-year-old campaign when he put in two honourable performances at the Sunshine and Gold Coast respectively.

Robl’s gelding was a close and closing runner-up in the first and close to a good thing beaten in the second.

“I thought it was a bad ride at the Gold Coast,’’ Robl said.

“He went right when he should have gone left. He was definitely unlucky.

“Naturally we spelled him after that and he’s come back and trialled up nicely under his own steam.

“I think a 1000m maiden there (Ballina) on Tuesday is going to be perfect for him. We expect him to kick off this prep winning.’’

Peter Robl this year at Fannie Bay, where he won the Darwin Cup with Hadouken. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Should that happen, Tell No Gossip’s owner Sammy Ma will be “racing for fun” given the $13,950 first prize against his original outlay of $14,000 at the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale in 2022.

“They’re never that cheap unless they’ve got an issue or two but it doesn’t seem to have worried him to this point in time.’’ Robl said.

“So hopefully his owner gets a return on his investment, which he should do.”

Given his status as a Magic Millions graduate, Tell No Gossip is eligible for myriad races next month at his home ground on the Gold Coast.

Robl is not ruling out a Magic Millions race-day appearance with the gelding – just not this year.

“He took a little bit to get up and get going,’’ Robl said.

“He is a pretty immature type.

“We haven’t looked to go that way, it would be too much too quick for him. We’d be happy just to win on Monday and then probably just go to a little Wednesday rating race at Doomben or something.’’

Robl ought to know what makes Tell No Gossip tick given his association with his “grandfather”.

Tell No Gossip’s dam Tell No Tales is a daughter of Your Song, with whom Robl claimed all three of the Anthony Cummings-trained colt’s wins.

They include his unforgettable five-length win in the Group 1 BTC Cup at Eagle Farm in 2013.

Originally published as Quirindi preview: Kris Lees has packed week in NSW before Ingham defence