7 days ago
Missile Stakes washout sends Brudenell south to Caulfield in chase for $1m milestone
Newcastle trainer Kris Lees is one trainer that's happy NSW officials decided to scrap the Missile Stakes after it was rained out in Sydney last week.
The leading NSW provincial trainer had one of his favourite horses Brudenell set to line up in the unofficial start to the Sydney spring carnival but last Saturday's Randwick card was rained out and Racing NSW chose to scrap the race this year rather than rescheduling it.
That decision opened the door for Lees to book the float and send the 10-time winner to Melbourne to contest Saturday's Listed Regal Roller Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield.
'The rain washing out Rosehill last Saturday was probably a blessing for us,' Lees said.
'The Missile was set weight and penalties and this is a handicap and where he sits in the pecking order means he's probably better served in a handicap.
'I reckon it's worked out all right.'
Brudenell is closing in on $1 million in earnings and his trainer said while he's not the best horse in his Broadmeadow barns, you'd struggle to find a more durable and genuine racehorse.
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'He's a beauty, your typical Macquarie Stud type of horse,' he said.
'Born out at Wellington in Central Western of NSW, he's a tough and hardy horse that cops whatever you throw at him.
'I trained his mum Knit 'N' Purl, I trained his grandam Zingaling and Max (Kris' late father) trained her mother Done That.
'They were all cut from the same cloth and I guess you could say we know a bit about the family.
'I didn't pay a lot for him; it was less than $100,000 ($80,000 at the 2021 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale) and he's been a real stalwart for the stable.
'If he can win on Saturday, he cracks the million and there'd be no horse more deserving.'
Brudenell last raced in the Listed Bob Charley AO Stakes (1100m) at Randwick on June 7 – when narrowly beaten by subsequent Group 3 Sir John Monash Stakes winner In Flight – and Lees said his tough gelding wouldn't be in need of the run.
'The formguide says he's had a spell but it's not the case,' he said.
'He's been in work the whole time and we had our sights on a race in July but I'd been happy with how he was going so I decided to bypass the July Sprint and wait for the Missile Stakes with an additional trial.
'He races well whenever we travel him and he's a winner at the track.
'Drawn to get the right run and with Mark Zahra in the saddle, you know he's going to get every chance.'
Brudenell is a $6.50 chance to join million-dollar earners club at Caulfield on Saturday.
