Newcastle trainer Kris Lees says Turnbull Stakes winner and Caulfield Cup place-getter Lucia Valentina is about to step-up her training for the autumn, reports Racing Network.
“She’s doing her second week of pre-training on the aquaziser, but she hasn’t had a saddle on yet,” Lees told Racing Network today (Tuesday).
Lees said he was able to give the brilliant mare a month off after she ran 13th in the Melbourne Cup behind German hero Protectionist, which he is now also training.
“She seems to have filled-out a bit but I’m looking at her right now and she looks terrific,” he said.
Lees said he had not set in stone her autumn program.
“I don’t really know which races she will run in yet but it’s fair to say they will all end up in the Queen Elizabeth, it just depends on how we get there,” Lees said.
Melbourne Cup winner Protectionist is also in pre-training and Lees said he was “ticking along” perfectly.
“I haven’t made my mind up when he will resume but there are a lot of options in the autumn for a horse like him who can stay,” Lees said.
His quality three-year-old filly, Onemorezeta, a winner of the $200,000 Red Roses at Flemington on Crown Oaks day, is also back in work.
Lees said she will stay in Sydney and take in the traditional three-year-old fillies races, starting with the Group 2 $175,000 Light Fingers Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on February 14.