Kris Lees measures success each year by the prizemoney his stable can secure for their owners, but any win over leading trainer Chris Waller is something he also cherishes.
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And with a quarter of the racing year to go, the Newcastle trainer is in position to get one over Waller and end his eight-year reign as NSW premiership champion.
Lees has 144 victories statewide and a 8.5-win lead over Waller in the trainers' premiership with three months left. James Cummings (126) is third.
Waller has gained mainstream fame as trainer of the great Winx, but he has long been a dominant force in the industry. He claimed the national premiership last season with 338.5 wins and prizemoney of $43.7 million.
This season he has 204.5 wins and almost $40 million, as well as the prestigious NSW metropolitan premiership secured with 107.5 victories, almost double his nearest rival. Lees has 161.5 wins nationally and stakes of just over $8.7 million.
However, Waller has a fight on his hands to top the overall NSW wins again.
He had 242 last year and Lees was second with 221. It was part of a personal-best overall season tally of 249 victories nationwide for Lees.
And while he is set to fall short of those numbers this season, partly because of meetings lost to COVID-19, Lees was keen to stay ahead of Waller and claim a first NSW title.
"He's the yardstick of Australian racing, with a lot of things that he does," Lees said of Waller. "No one has got more respect than me for what he has done.
"It would be good to get one over him, no matter where it is. The Gold Coast on a Saturday or anywhere. He's hard to beat," he said with a laugh.
Most of Lees' victories - 90 - this season have come at NSW country meetings. He chases another feature country win on Friday with High Opinion in the listed $160,000 Wagga Gold Cup (2000 metres).
The eight-year-old gelding was a half-length away in the event last year but has drawn wide this time around in 11.
He was a $13 TAB chance on Thursday after finishing seventh over the same distance at Rosehill on Saturday in a benchmark 78 handicap when third-up.
"He ran second in the race last year," Lees said.
"I don't know if he's going as good. I was pretty confident that he would run well last year.
"I probably would have liked to see him do a bit more last Saturday, but that was his first run at 2000 for the preparation, so he should handle the back-up. He's pretty well.
"He's drawn tricky but if he could roll forward that would be good.
"There's good money and the owners are from down there."
Lees, who employees about 60 staff, was grateful racing was continuing through the COVID-19 pandemic and he was pleased with the results so far this season.
"I probably had more winners last year to be fair, but there's obviously different circumstances," he said.
"But the stable is going OK. We just place them where they can win."
Lees added to his state total on Thursday when Darleb, his only runner on the day, took out the last at Wyong, a benchmark 64 handicap (1300m).
Sammie Clenton drove the three-year-old colt to a half-length win over favourite Holy Reign for a second victory in four career starts.
While the focus of NSW racing will be on Wagga on Friday, Muswellbrook is also in action with an eight-race program.
