Kris Lees’ three-time Group 1 winner Le Romain is expected to kick off his spring in next month’s Missile Stakes as he compares to bring some competition to the world’s best sprinters in the 2017 The Everest.
Le Romain is racing for a spot in the 2017 The Everest race field this spring in Sydney. Photo: Steve Hart.
Newcastle trainer Lees is confident his rising five-year-old is deserving of a slot in the inaugural running of the $10 million Restricted The Everest (1200m) when the weight-for-age feature takes place at Royal Randwick on Saturday, October 14.
Hard Spun gelding Le Romain, already a winner of over $2.1 million in prize money, is only considered an outside chance in futures The Everest betting with Lees yet to secure a slot in the race.
Lees is hoping a connection will come forward willing to pay the $600,000 price to get Le Romain into The Everest field based on the early form of the soon-to-return galloper.
On Wednesday Le Romain has his first of two scheduled trials leading up to a first-up run at Randwick on August 5 in the $200,000 Group 2 Missile Stakes (1200m).
Lining-up in the morning’s eighth heat at Wyong, Le Romain will race over 845m in the open trial in his first public appearance this winter.
“I’ll probably trial him twice before he resumes in the Missile,” Lees told The Daily Telegraph this week.
“He will kick off a little earlier in the Missile Stakes and then go to Melbourne for the Memsie, which is three weeks later, and weight-for-age over 1400m at Caulfield is an ideal option for him.
“Then if he anyone wanted to put him in the Everest we would certainly consider it and I think that would be a nice platform for a race like that.”
The $1 million Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) is scheduled for September 2.
“I just find sometimes those [early spring] Melbourne races you take on a few of those stayers resuming and around Caulfield [in the Memsie Stakes] he will be well suited,” Lees added.
From 18 career starts, Le Romain has posted six victories including his 2016 Randwick Guineas win over the mile, Cantala Stakes success over the same distance at Flemington that October and his upset win over Chautauqua in the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) on a mud Randwick track this March.
Last time out the horse atoned for his unplaced Doncaster Mile run finishing a close second only a quarter-length off the winner Tivaci in the Group 1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) in mid-April.
There’s little doubt the horse is most affective over 1300m – 1600m, but Lees believes he can still be competitive over the 1200m in The Everest should he gain a start in the country’s richest race.
“Freshened up for the 1200 metres, I’ve got no doubt he would be very competitive in The Everest,” Lees said.
“He excels at Randwick, and handles both good and wet ground.
“He beat Chautauqua at weight-for-age at Randwick over 1300m and you know want Sydney weather is like. If we have a wet October [it would certainly help him].”
Current The Everest racing odds at Ladbrokes.com.au have the Team Hawkes-trained Chautauqua ($4.80) on top.
After his second to Le Romain in the All Aged Stakes, Chautauqua went on to finish third to Winx in the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill before stepping back in distance to post his record third straight Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) victory over The Everest track and distance.
Lees said that if The Everest was taken off the cards, Le Romain could go to a mile for a shot at the $750,000 Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on September 16 and the Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Randwick in Sydney in October.
“If he hasn’t got that option we may even go on to a Makybe Diva and back for the Epsom, so we have options getting him back early,” Lees said.
To back Le Romain during the spring and to access the best early The Everest 2017 odds visit Ladbrokes.com.au.
