Local trainer Kris Lees has accepted with three talented three-year-old’s at the Newcastle Racecourse race meeting on Tuesday and the trio will be ridden by Andrew Gibbons. Lees three 3-year-olds are Flame Of Hestia (R2), Lutetia (R6) and Road to Paradise (R7).
Flame Of Hestia is a Blueblood daughter of top sire Too Darn Hot and she steps out in the 900 metre Dailey Family Funerals Class 1 Handicap. Her dam is the mother of the Kris Lees trained In Her Time, winner of the Group 1 2019 Flemington Lightning Stakes. The filly races in the Yulong colours and she went for a spell after an easy all the way Taree Maiden win in October. The 3-year-old has speed to burn and has had two recent barrier trials and in the latter at Muswellbrook on March 18 she put four lengths on well performed stablemate Tavi Time. Flame Of Hestia bumps into another fast 900 metre sprinter Runranirun which won a Newcastle 900 metre Maiden by 2.81 lengths in August.
Lutetia, bred and raced by Coolmore has sound form for the 1250 metre A-Plus Contracting & Poly Welding Provincial Class 1 Handicap. The Justify filly was an easy winner of a Newcastle 2-year-old Maiden in July and she was narrowly beaten in her past two starts at Canterbury in February. She had a quiet trial recently at Muswellbrook.
Road To Paradise, a daughter of The Autumn Sun won her only start at Newcastle in December and she draws positively in the 1500 metre The Adviser Collective Class 1 Handicap. She had a soft trial recently at Scone.
The Hawkes stable will apply blinkers to their 3-year-old El Paso, one of the main chances in the 1890 metre New Era Technology Maiden Plate. El Paso has done most of his racing in Victoria where he was beaten less than two lengths in the Listed Geelong Classic in October. First up on the Kensington track on March 13 he was backed from $4.20 into $2.70 in a small field and he found the 1400 metre trip too short when he ran on strong to be beaten 2.37 lengths. The longer trip is to his liking, and he can wind up down the long straight.
Andrew Gibbons rides from barrier two and he has another good chance aboard Kenmare Bay in the 1890 metre Davali Yearlings @ Easter Benchmark 64 Handicap. The 3-year-old has been runner up in his past two starts at Wyong and he races well on this track. He is crying out for this trip.
The lightly raced Kiwi bred Alcabeel a son of Savabeel which pout the writing on the wall with a slashing narrow defeat first up at Hawkesbury recently will be hard to beat in the final event the 1500 metre The Adviser Collective Class 1 Handicap.