Kris Lees welcomes forecast of rain for triple interstate attack

Rustic Steel hits the group 3 Festival Stakes (1500m) third-up after impressive but unplaced finishes from well back in the Sydney Stakes (1200m) at Randwick then the Newcastle Herald Hunter (1300m) two weeks ago. Both times, the six-year-old went back from a wide gate on Good tracks.

On Saturday, he has gate six in what shapes as a weaker race much closer to his preferred distance. In a brilliant 2022, Rustic Steel claimed the $500,000 The Coast, the Scone Cup and $2 million Big Dance at a mile. A son of Deep Field, he also showed a liking for rain-affected going in his Scone Cup and Coast wins.

Rosehill was a Soft 7 on Friday and Lees was pleased with how Rustic Steel ($4.60 with TAB) was shaping up.

"It's a more favourable gate and distance and probably a softer track, so he gets a few ticks," Lees said.

"He's come on well from his runs. I expect him to race well and I'm thinking there's still a little room for improvement. He gets his chance to race a little closer. We won't change too much though because he's racing well that way."

Rain was also predicted for Doomben, where Lees has Acquitted in the listed Tails Stakes (1600m) and Snowzone in the group 2 George Moore (1200m). Acquitted was battling for favouritism with the track a Soft 6, while Snowzone was a $61 outsider in his race.

"There's forecast for more rain tonight, so that would not be an issue for him," Lees said of Acquitted on Friday. "He's travelled up there and won before."

He said the George Moore was "probably too strong" for Snowzone "but I'm banking on the rain coming back, and I think he might be able to earn a cheque".

At Caulfield, he has Power Of The Brave in the group 2 Sandown Guineas (1600m), where he was a $6 chance after placings at his past three starts, all in Sydney.

"He's a bit on trial at the trip and we've only really gone down there because it's probably not as strong, after being a relocated race date-wise," Lees said. "He's probably like a lot of horses in it, he needs to prove himself at the mile, but he's racing consistently at 1400 with big weights, so we thought he'd react well going down there.

"He goes back to three-year-old set weights and outside of the topweight, he's in reasonable well.

"The fact that he's second in the weights suggests it's not an overly strong race.

"He's got some upside, he just lacks a little bit of maturity and I think the trip away will certainly be beneficial.

"He'll roll across and Damien Lane reads these tracks pretty well so I'll let him work it out but he should roll forward."

On Friday, Lees' Tavi Time booked a Big Dance spot with an easy win in the Mudgee Cup.