KRIS Lees has made several gear changes to his imported Italian-bred galloper Goldstream for today’s Listed Emirates Park Scone Cup (1600m) but has warned there may be an even more drastic measure ahead for the horse if he cannot find his form of old.
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Goldstream pulled fiercely and would not settle when he raced up on the pace early then finished last in the Group One All Aged Stakes at Randwick on April 16 at his first and only Australian start.
“We have made a couple of gear changes including a crossover noseband but whether it helps remains to be seen,” Lees said.
“It has helped him at home but then he wasn’t working fiercely at home either.
“He has been out of form for a year and if he doesn’t settle we might have to think about gelding him.
“He will probably go for a spell anyway because I don’t like giving these imported horses a long first preparation.”
Goldstream was unbeaten in five starts in Italy, culminating in him winning the Italian Derby (2200m) in May last year.
He was then bought by the Newcastle-based Australian Bloodstock, switched from his original trainer Stefano Botti to Melbourne cup-winning German trainer Andrea Wohler and was sent to America to run in the Group One Secretariat (2012m) at Arlington in August.
Brenton Avdulla, who has a close association with Australian Bloodstock and Lees, flew to America to ride the horse but they could only finish a well beaten fourth.
Goldstream had one more start, in the Group One Von Baden at Baden in Germany in which he ran fifth, before being sent out here.
Avdulla was to have ridden the horse tomorrow but is suspended and the ride has gone to Sam Clipperton.
Punters must believe that Lees has found the key to the horse with Goldstream equal fifth in the betting at $11.
The James Cummings-trained High Midnight remains the $5 favourite just ahead of topweight Mighty Lucky and Amovatio, both at $6, followed by Tales of Grimm ($8), then Casino Dancer and Goldstream at $11.
The Scone Cup is not so much an afterthought as a diversion for Amovatio.
Trainer Chris Waller had planned to send him to Brisbane after his recent Hawkesbury Gold Cup win but decided to give Amovatio his chance in todayy’s Listed race.
“He was originally going to Queensland but it would be arrogant to drive straight past Scone where there is a $200,000 race,” Waller said.
“He has drawn well and is in good form and the race is over a mile (1600m) which suits him.
Amovatio graduated to stakes company less than a year ago, winning the Listed Winter Championship at Flemington in July.
After a spell he returned in October to take out a 1400m Listed race at Caulfield and two starts later ran unplaced in the Group One Emirates Stakes.
His sights were lowered in the autumn and his best performance in three starts before the Hawkesbury Gold Cup was third in the Group Three Newcastle Newmarket run at Rosehill in March.
The Waller-trained Tales Of Grimm will defend the race he won in 2015 when trained by the now-disqualified Sam Kavanagh.
At his first start for Waller, Tales Of Grimm was second in the deferred Hawkesbury Gold Cup in June and finished midfield this year.
“He had a long break after that and third-up should be at peak fitness,” Waller said.
