Lees settles on Gateway start for Tasoraay

By Mandy Cottell 

Tasoraay will bid to emulate stablemate Dream Hour by winning The Gateway at Eagle Farm.

A wide draw in Sydney and the opportunity to chase a $300,000 payday in Brisbane have lured Kris Lees north with progressive four-year-old Tasoraay.

The gelding is a dual state acceptor but after coming up with barrier 20 at Randwick, Lees confirmed the horse would take his place in The Gateway at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

"We will send him up. It's good prizemoney and he's in form," Lees said.

"He drew wide in Sydney, so we'll give him his chance up there."

Tasoraay has won three of his 11 starts, including his most recent when he lumped 60kg to a narrow victory over 1250 metres at Canterbury.

His profile is similar to that of stablemate Dream Hour, who won The Gateway at double-figure odds two years ago.

Dream Hour was subsequently prepared for the Provincial-Midway Championships and contested two heats but didn't make the decider, although Lees is hopeful Tasoraay can go the extra step.

"He will probably have a freshen after this and prepare for the Provincial Championships. He profiles like one of those types of horses," Lees said.

The winner of The Gateway also earns automatic entry into the Stradbroke Handicap.

Dream Hour finished ninth to Stefi Magnetica in the 2024 renewal.

While that race isn't front of mind, Lees says it will be difficult to turn down such an opportunity if Tasoraay is successful on Saturday.

"We won it a couple of years ago with Dream Hour and we went that way," he said.

"We will see. It's a big jump from this race to a Stradbroke, but with a free ticket, you'd have to consider it."

Tasoraay is a $23 chance in early markets for The Gateway, with the Tony Gollan-trained Boomtown Boss a solid $2.80 favourite.

Meanwhile, stablemates Junqueira and Countyourblessings are set to dodge Sydney’s incoming weather change.

A forecast for wet weather in Sydney will almost certainly prompt training partners John O’Shea and Tom Charlton to take a pair of mares to Brisbane in search of a firmer surface.

Neither Junqueira nor Countyourblessings are at their best on wet ground.

O'Shea says they are unlikely to take their place in Saturday's Listed Razor Sharp Handicap at Randwick.

Both have also been paid up for the Listed Just Now at Eagle Farm and that is shaping as the preferred option.

"Just as a result of the weather, I think they will go to Brisbane," O'Shea said shortly after acceptances were taken for both meetings on Wednesday.

Junqueira has had a disjointed campaign with her trainers scratching her several times due to wide draws.

After finishing just over three lengths from Husk first-up at Randwick in September, she didn't race again for seven weeks, striking trouble when unplaced in a race on The Hunter undercard.

She has the inside gate at Eagle Farm and O'Shea has warned punters not to underestimate her.

"The other day she was about to run well and got galloped on," he said.

"We were optimistic about her at Newcastle and it didn't go our way. She is one that can bounce back and it wouldn't surprise us."

Countyourblessings has also drawn low in barrier three and tackles the fillies and mares' feature first-up.

She has a handy record fresh and O'Shea has been pleased with her build up.

"She is in great form. She has trialled up really well," he said.

"We're trying to jag some black-type for her ownership group and we'll see if we can do it on Saturday."

The Just Now is one of three stakes races at Eagle Farm on Saturday, although the afternoon's drawcard is the $300,000 The Gateway.

The latter doesn't have black-type status, but the winner gains automatic entry into the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap during the Brisbane winter.