Lees keen to find out where Brudenell fits from Warra test

Newcastle trainer Kris Lees has decided to test the up-and-coming Brudenell against the best short-course flyers in The Warra (1000m) at Kembla Grange on Saturday.

The four-year-old Brudenell has been an outstanding horse coming off a gap between runs and went through the grades during the winter with a couple of impressive wins to take his record to six from 11 starts.

The short course is a specialist area and, with $300,000 in prizemoney on the line, Brudenell will face Cannonball, which went to Royal Ascot this year after being placed in the Galaxy, and several group winners and placegetters at the 1000m in his return from a spell.

“We actually thought about trialling him again and waiting for something a bit easier, but this race will give us a good lay of the land of where he sits,” Lees said. “He has always been a very good horse fresh, and it’s the right time to give him a bit of a test.

“He has only had the one trial, so he’s really fresh for this race because it is definitely a step up.

“He has been winning with big weights of 60 kilos and more, and he gets in here with only 52.5, so he gets that advantage.”

Brudenell has been backed into favouritism at $5.50 given his light weight and good draw in gate three, but he will not necessarily lead The Warra field, which is laden with fast horses.

“There is plenty of speed there with the likes of Malkovich and Cannonball, and Brudenell has shown in the past he can take a sit just off them,” Lees said. “The good gate is a bonus because he will get the right run and get his chance.

“If he can run well against these sprinters, it opens up plenty of options next year. There is also a nice series of races for him over the summer.”

The Newcastle trainer had a frustrating day at his home town’s standalone meeting with three seconds to go with a victory to promising stayer Tavi Time last weekend, and he will bring a strong team to Kembla.

Little Dance winner Spangler gets into The Gong with only 53kg but will have to overcome barrier 17.

“They tend to get to the centre of the track on this day, so if he can get cover midfield he might just end up in the best place from the gate,” Lees said. “He’s going really well and there is a good group of races for him over the next month with this race and The Ingham, and he can also take the next step.

“We would love to get a couple of scratchings and to get Loch Eagle into the $1 million race as well. If not, he will be hard to beat in the benchmark 88.

“If there is some rain around, it would help both of them because they both like a bit of give in the ground.”

Cuban brothers out to give Kembla hometown success

The hopes for a hometown victory on Gong day will come down to two brothers from different stables.

Cuban Royale takes on the $1 million feature, and Cuban Granchico lines up in the Midway Handicap on Saturday.

Robert and Luke Price have nine-year-old Cuban Royale in The Gong. He continues to race at his peak this preparation, including a runner-up finish to Epsom winner Rediener in the Bill Ritchie Quality back in September.

“We have wanted to give him his chance in this race because it is at home, but it was touch and go if he would get in,” Luke Price said. “He won on this day as a benchmark 72 horse last year, and it shows just how far he has come since he is now in open class.

“He will need the right run but with no weight on his back and he could surprise them.”

The Prices won The Gong with Count De Rupee two years ago, and Think About It and Hope In Your Heart have run placings.

“It has been a good race for our best horses down here. Cuban Royale is not up with those horses, but he is tough and doesn’t know how to run a bad race, ” Price added.

Fellow Kembla trainer Joe Ible has planned for six months to have Cuban Granchico at the standalone meeting in the Midway Handicap.

“He is like his brother, Cuban Royale, in that he is just getting better with age,” Ible said. “He loves the 1400m at Kembla, and when he won here in April I told the owners that we would aim him at this race.

“We don’t get the advantage of home track for metropolitan prizemoney too often.

“He has always needed a couple of runs to get to his best, so he had a couple of Midway runs and he is ready to run his best race.”

Cuban Granchico has been well-supported from $18 to $10 in early betting. Eau De Vie is the $4.80 favourite.