Lees to have last laugh
Trainer leans to Lucia over Protectionist
LUCIA V Valentina is better equipped for weight-forage racing and Protectionist can recapt recapture the form that ranked him among the world’s best stayers.
That was trainer Kris Lees’ upbeat asses assessment of the outstanding duo who resume in the Group 2 Tramway Stakes (1400m) at R Randwick today. Lucia V Valentina and Protection tectionist had nine sta starts between them last autumn and managed only one minor placing.
Their form was nothing like the previous spring when Lucia Valentina won the TramwayTr Stakes, Tu Turnbull Stakes and ran third in the Caulfield Cup, and Protectionisttioni was a rampagingramp Melbourne Cup winner.w
But Lees maintains the Sy Sydney weight-forage fo form last autumn was theth strongest in years, a and Protectionist did inju injure himself in the Sydney C Cup.
“Lucia Valentina had been rac racing in set weights and pen penalties races and getting in into handicaps like the Caulf Caulfield Cup with no weight o on her back last spring,’’ L Lees said.
“Then “Then, during the autumn in those weightfor-age races, it was another step u up again. I felt the autumn horses were stronger than the spring.
“Lucia Valentina ran an enormous race first-up (fourth in Apollo Stakes) then ran only ninth in the Chipping Norton but she can do that second-up.
“I thought she was terrific finishing third in the Ranvet and then she went to The BMW and I probably regret running her now because the track that day was quite firm.
“She didn’t disgrace herself in the Queen Elizabeth running sixth at the end of the autumn, but I felt she was a length below those top horses.’’
Lees gives Lucia Valentina a real chance of becoming the first to go back-to-back in the Tramway Stakes since Grenoble in 1959-60 before making a successful transition to weight-for-age racing.
“Lucia Valentina is coming up very similar to how she was 12 months ago,’’ Lees said.
“She may get the heavy track she got in the Tramway last year, or something close to that, and I think she will run a really good race.’’
Protectionist has recovered from the leg problem he sustained in the Sydney Cup failure and Lees said the former German stayer had pleased since his return to training.
“I thought the 1400m race was the better option as he has to run again in two weeks,’’ Lees said. “He’s only had one trial so I didn’t want to take too much out of him first-up.’’
Lees said both Lucia Valentina and Protectionist will have at least another start in Sydney over the spring carnival.
In fact, Lees hasn’t ruled out keeping Lucia Valentina fresh for the Epsom on October 3.