Kris Lees and Billy Slater combine to chase Magic Millions glory with Chilli Filly

Kris Lees has Magic Millions 3YO Guineas ambitions with a talented filly part-owned by Billy Slater.

Billy Slater is looking for Magic Millions glory with Chilli Filly. Picture: Luke Marsden

Queensland legend Billy Slater achieved it all on the football field, now trainer Kris Lees is looking to deliver him his biggest racing moment by getting his filly to the Magic Millions next month.

Lees is set to start Slater’s Chilli Filly at Eagle Farm on Saturday in the Listed Gold Edition Plate (1200m) as he looks to get her into the $3m Magic Millions 3YO Guineas field on January 13.

The Newcastle-based trainer is great mates with legendary NSW halfback Andrew Johns but jokes he’s “happy to spread my wings” when it comes to horses and said Slater picked a good one when it comes to Chilli Filly, who is on an upwards spiral in her two career starts.

“We bought her at Magic Millions and (Slater) came and approached myself and my bloodstock agent Justin Bahen about buying her,” Lees said.

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Also accepted to run at Canterbury on Friday night, Lees said he was leaning towards Brisbane on Saturday to give Chilli Filly a look a stakes-level racing.

“She is in at Canterbury on Friday night as well, but it doesn’t look the strongest race (at Brisbane) there’s been, so we will accept up there and have a look,” he said.

“It looks like a nice opportunity for her, the Magic Millions 3YO (Guineas) is the ultimate goal with her but she’d need to be winning or running very good to get there, she needs to earn some prizemoney to get there.”

Kris Lees is coming off a golden day on Saturday, which netted him five winners. Picture: Jeremy Ng/Getty Images

While the formguide shows she was beaten at Wyong last start, Lees is confident in Chilli Filly’s ability to bounce back from the first-up performance.

“First-up, it was just a case of her gassing herself,” he said.

“They went far too quick upfront, the two favourites chopped each other up, the other one dropped off and she was still there.”

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Coming off a golden Saturday last week which netted him five winners and a slot into the Stradbroke Handicap thanks to Dream Hour’s win in The Gateway, Lees is looking to strike again with Ucalledit in the Listed Lough Neagh Stakes (1400m).

While the consistent sprinter won’t be eligible for the super rich Magic Millions day next month, Lees said he is still looking to strike summer gold.

“He put a couple together last prep and he was going good this time last year up there, he won this race,” he said.

“He will probably go to The Buffering up there, he went through a sale in New Zealand at some point, so we will just play around the edges of the carnival because he can’t go to the big day (Magic Millions).”