BEATEN PMC FINAL FAVORITE’S NEW GOAL LATER IN YEAR

KRIS Lees has set a new goal with narrowly beaten Provincial-Midway Championships Final favorite Lord Of Biscay.

It’s the same track (Royal Randwick) where the import just failed to overhaul the talented Matcha Latte in last Saturday’s $1m PMC Final (1400m) – but this time it’s an even richer target.

That’s the $3m Listed Big Dance (1600m) at headquarters on November 4.

Lees won the inaugural running in 2022 with Rustic Steel, ridden by Nash Rawiller.

“Lord Of Biscay was very gallant last Saturday, and the extra distance of the Big Dance won’t be a problem,” Lees said this afternoon.

“He became eligible for the race when he easily won the Ballina Cup over 1590m in January.

“Lord Of Biscay has done a terrific job this campaign, winning a couple of races and also being placed twice from five starts.

“He will spell and we’ll get him ready for the Big Dance.”

Whilst Lord Of Biscay’s current preparation is over, PMC Final stablemates Imposant (third) and Kind Words (sixth) remain in work.

“They both ran home well, and will go back to suitable benchmark races,” Lees said.

Lees’ Sydney Cup pair Cleveland (eighth) and Age Of Sail (16th) also have concluded their current campaigns.

“Cleveland made a sweeping run before the home turn but was shoved right off the track,” Lees said.

“He was gelded and the plan was to give him only two starts in autumn. Both those runs were good.”

Meanwhile, Summer Cup winner Tavi Time is ready to begin a new campaign at Randwick on Saturday.

Lees has booked James McDonald for the eight-times winner in the Randwick 100 Handicap (1400m), where he has 59.5kg.

Tavi Time ran sixth in last year’s Provincial-Midway Championships Final and later in the year was fourth in the Big Dance before going for a break after winning the 2000m Group 3 Summer Cup at Randwick on Boxing Day.

“His two recent trials have been very pleasing, and there’s good races such as the Hawkesbury and Scone Cups coming up after Saturday,” Lees said.

Stablemate Infancy, who resumed with a bang by winning the Group 2 Sapphire Stakes (1200m) at Randwick last Saturday on Day 2 of The Championships, is being kept fresh for a feature Gosford target next month.

The $250,000 Listed Takeover Target Stakes (1200m) at The Coast Saturday stand-alone metropolitan meeting on May 10 is the Australian Bloodstock-raced mare’s next assignment.

Story John Curtis, April 14, 2025 - Pics Bradley Photos