Kembla preview: Claire Lever's patience pays off with Yes Siree

Daily Telegraph

30-05-2025

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As legendary trainer Bart Cummings once said, 'Patience is the cheapest thing on racing and the least used.'
Hawkesbury trainer Claire Lever is one person who follows that ideology with her horses and her latest subject is the three-year-old Yes Siree.
From his early days the stable, the gelding showed Lever he was blessed with nice ability and even after he won a Hawkesbury barrier trial last November, she put him away knowing he wasn't ready to take the next step.
'He showed nice ability from the time he came into the stable but he was really slow to mature,' said Claire Lever.
'He kept growing and took a long time to come together to where you want him to be.
Trainer Claire Lever with her jockey/husband, Chad. Picture: Bradley Photos
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'He grew more than we expected and took time to mature.
'I know he trialled well last time around but we just wanted to see him develop a bit more so we tipped him out.
'It wasn't until this preparation that he got to where we could do a bit more with him.'
Returning for a late autumn and winter campaign, Yes Siree rewarded Lever and his owners with a debut win at Wyong on May 1.
'He trialled well then went to the races and won his first start,' Lever said.
'It probably wasn't an overly strong form race but it was over an unsuitably short distance for him and he did a few things wrong so he's progressing.
'It nice to have a horse in the stable that will keep improving that has been looked after.'
That Wyong win came on a Heavy 10 but it was no surprise he handles the conditions so well being a son of Everest winner and Randwick 1200m track record holder Yes Yes Yes from an O'Reilly mare.
Yes Siree is looking to make it two from two when he steps out on the Benchmark 64 Handicap (1200m) at Kembla on another heavy track with Grant Buckley to ride.
'It's a heavy track again but the Yes Yes Yes' have won all well on heavy tracks,' she said.
'The fact he ticked that box off, you can go to the races with that little bit more confidence that the track is not going to worry him too much.
'Down the track, I think 1400m will be is best distance but stepping up to 1200 metres this weekend will be good for him.'
Four-year-old gelding Casanova has been a model of consistency in his two campaigns for Lever with a win and two placings in the first and he has a win and two placings so far this time in.
He is looking to improve on that when he lines up in the Benchmark 64 Handicap (1600m) with Lever husband, Chad, to ride.
The gelding scored a tough win on his home track in March before a rare blip when well back behind Monkhena there a month later.
A drop in grade saw him return his usually form with a third behind Exceedingly Hot at Queanbeyan on May 11.
'He is very honest, he puts himself up on speed or thereabouts and just tries really hard,' Lever said.
'His run at Hawkesbury was out of character but he pulled up okay.
'He bounced back with a better effort last start although it was at Queanbeyan in weaker grade.
'Back to provincial grade, on a nice track and down in weight, I think he will run well again.
'His form on wet tracks in good so I'm going to Kembla confident he will handle the conditions.'