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Kris Lees has made a gear change on Asharani as he seeks to turn the clock back 10 years in tomorrow’s Belle Of The Turf Stakes at Gosford.
He has opted for winkers on the mare, who tuned up for her Group 3 tilt by comfortably winning a 1000m barrier trial at Wyong last Friday week.
Lees won the 2010 Belle Of The Turf with Hidden Wonder (Jay Ford), who drew an inside barrier when the fillies and mares' feature carried Listed status.
It's a totally different scenario with $13 chance Asharani (Hugh Bowman), who will have to overcome the outside alley in a capacity field of 14.
"We'll go back on her," Lees said this afternoon. "It will be interesting as we haven't stretched her out to 1600m very often.
"But she is in good order and no doubt Hugh will give her a top ride."
Asharani was narrowly beaten with 59.5kg in a Benchmark 70 Handicap (1550m) on the Kensington track in June last year before finishing eighth to Baccarat Baby in the Group 3 Sunshine Coast Guineas (1600m) at her next start nearly three weeks later; the seventh start at the end of her first campaign for Lees after coming from a Queensland stable.
"Asharani has raced in blinkers before (between April and September this year), and I've decided to try winkers on her tomorrow," he said.
Lees enjoyed great success at last year's corresponding Gosford meeting, winning the Summer Provincial Series Final with Occupy and a supporting race with Magnolia Power.
Both were handled by Sam Clenton, who is on the comeback trail riding work and edging closer to competing in trials en route to resuming race riding.
Lees also has a representative, Redoute's Image (Robbie Dolan), in tomorrow's other feature, the Listed Gosford Guineas (1200m) – a race he is yet to win.
The lightly raced three-year-old filly has drawn five in a field of 12, and her trainer considers she is over the odds at her current $14.
Redoute's Image resumed with an excellent third to the talented year older mare Salina Dreaming in a Benchmark 72 Handicap (1100m) at Royal Randwick on December 12, and is back against her own age.
She was held up for clear running between the 400m and 150m that day and finished with purpose when finally into the clear.
"Redoute's Image has come on nicely since that run," Lees said. "I expect her to be very competitive tomorrow.
"Forecast rain if it eventuates won't hurt Asharani or Redoute's Image's chances either."
Lees has taken over the training of well-named Eavesdropper seven-year-old Nosey from his part-owner and former Wyong trainer Les Tilley, and kicks off a new campaign with him in the Benchmark 64 Handicap (1000m) with James McDonald aboard.
The gelding has been placed at Gosford, but is yet to win first-up from six previous attempts.
Like Asharani, he won a 1000m barrier trial on his former home track on December 18, beating Lees' talented import Cristal Breeze.
"Nosey is coming to hand nicely, and will definitely take improvement from whatever he does tomorrow," Lees said.
Longworth (Bowman) is an acceptor for tomorrow's Malcolm Cusick Stakes (1200m) in which she has drawn awkwardly, and is also an entrant for Saturday's Kensington meeting.
"We're tossing it over whether to run her tomorrow or wait for the weekend," Lees said.
. Lees has five runners (Spanish Point, Safado, Occupy, Game Of Thorns and Itz Lily) in Saturday's $150,000 Sky Racing Summer Provincial Series Final (1600m) at Wyong.
He has jockeys on standby, but may wait for Thursday morning's barrier draw before confirming riding arrangements.
. Special Reward (5th) and Tactical Advantage (6th), who failed at Eagle Farm last Saturday in the Falvelon Quality (1200m) to gain a wildcard into the $1m Magic Millions Snippets (1200m) at the Gold Coast on January 16, have concluded their current campaigns and will spell.