Lees good as gold
GROUP 1-winning southern trainer Kris Lees will look to increase his presence in Queensland by creating a full-time operation through Gold Coast’s Mel Eggleston.
Lees has found success since he began to send more horses to race in southeast Queensland this season, securing 10 wins from 53 runners.
Two of those wins were at the Gold Coast, including his Bat Out Of Hell win with Guard Of Honour in May.
The Newcastle trainer, who has won 14 Group 1 races, has stabled all of his winter carnival horses at Eggleston’s Gold Coast base and said he was considering increasing his presence further.
“It’s working quite well at the moment,” Lees said.
“We probably have seven there at the moment and four are nominated for the (Tattersall’s) Tiara (Group 1) this Saturday (at Doomben).
“We may look to increase that even more over the next few months.”
Lees’s stable rep Cameron Swan has been in Queensland during the carnival but once he returns south the trainer said Eggleston could act in a foreman-type role.
“(Eggleston) and Mandy (Jupp) run the stable, know our systems and what works well,” Lees said.
“I have known Mel forever so it’s a good association.
“He has good staff and a good facility.”
Lees push into Queensland follows the recent arrival of high profile trainers Chris Waller, Gary Moore and John Zielke while Godolphin and Snowden Racing have also said they will consider opening a Gold Coast stable if planned done.
Eggleston’s affiliation with Lees family started 45 years ago when the then 13-yearold began working in the stables of Kris’ father, Max, in Newcastle.
He went on to spend four years as a jockey and returned in his mid-20s to become a foreman for Lees where Kris spent time working under Eggleston.
Jupp also worked for Max for around 16 years.
Eggleston, who moved to the Gold Coast to train in 2003, predicted it would likely track upgrades are result in him training under the Kris Lees Racing banner in the future.
“I’ve known Kris all his life and he has had a bit of success up here lately,” Eggleston said.
“Eventually they will be all under the Kris Lees banner. At the moment I’m still poking along and we will see how everything transpires.
“It’s going to come to that eventually.
“He is a very smart bloke and a very good trainer.
“They have some nice horses, they are well bred and he is expanding.”