Horse Racing News: Kris Lees Bets on Luncies in Ipswich Cup After Skipping Q22
Prominent trainer Kris Lees had a hunch that waiting for this Saturday’s Ipswich Cup would be the right move for his charge Luncies, and after witnessing the Group 2 Q22 event, he feels his decision has been vindicated.
The 2200-metre Q22 was won in dominant fashion by the imported runner Fawkner Park, leaving Lees confident that forgoing a tilt at that $1.2 million race was the correct call. Instead, Luncies will be fresh and ready to tackle the $250,000 Listed Ipswich Cup (2150m) this weekend.
Luncies has finished fifth in his two starts so far this campaign, most recently in the Group 3 Lord Mayor’s Cup (1800m), but Lees believes the horse is primed to peak in his next two outings. “He seems in good order, we considered today but I thought dropping him back a peg might be beneficial,” Lees said from Eagle Farm on Saturday.
“I think he’d have run well today but I thought next week is probably the softer of the two. He’ll probably got from there to Caloundra. This looks a nice progression for him.”
The $300,000 Listed Caloundra Cup (2400m) will be the next target for Luncies after the Ipswich Cup, with the Sunshine Coast event scheduled for July 6.
Luncies is the highest-rated of the 19 nominations for the Ipswich Cup, with distant Q22 runner-up Knight’s Choice and defending champion Regal Lion among his potential rivals. The horse won the Group 3 Tatt’s Cup (2400m) at Eagle Farm after finishing second to Without A Fight in last year’s Lord Mayor’s Cup, but Saturday will mark his first appearance at the tight Ipswich track.
“He’s raced well when he’s been to various tracks, he got around Canterbury OK (and) Hawkesbury, so he’ll be right,” Lees said.
The Ipswich Cup is one of three Black Type races on the Ipswich card during the Winter Carnival, joined by the Eye Liner Stakes (1350m) and Gai Waterhouse Classic (1200m), both of which are $200,000 Listed events.
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