Rivellino (AUS)
Rivellino (AUS)
2 c Too Darn Hot – Intrinsic by So You Think
O: Mr E C Throsby, Mr P T O’Brien, Mr S J Murray, Mr F W Cook, Mrs C M Cook, Lees Racing Pty Ltd, Mr B T Ireland, Mrs P Ireland, Mr B Dukovski, Mates of Scott
B: Mr S J Murray, Brian & Pat Ireland
T: Kris Lees
S: 2024 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale V: Lime Country Thoroughbreds P: Lees Racing / Bahen Bloodstock, $180,000
W: Drinkwise Maiden Plate, 1000m, January 4, Randwick
Kris Lees’ Too Darn Hot (Dubawi) juvenile Rivellino kicked off his career in fine style on Saturday, when the colt registered an impressive 1.9-length debut victory at Randwick.
Ridden by Benjamin Osmond, the colt, who had shown promise when winning a 900–metre trial at Rosehill last month, convincingly defeated The Magic Man (Showtime) with Commanding Belle (Farnan) a further 2.2 lengths away in third.
In winning Saturday’s maiden contest, Rivellino put himself on a path toward next month’s $2 million Inglis Millennium (RL, 1100m), for which he is eligible having been purchased by Lees and Bahen Bloodstock for $180,000 at the 2024 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
“He travelled really nicely in the race and let down really well,” stable representative Cameron Swan said.
“Kris [Lees] might be looking at a race like the Inglis Millennium in about five weeks. Going off that run, he’d be a chance in something like that.
“He’s a horse that just keeps getting better. He was very professional today and it was an easy watch. He was a bit out of his comfort zone in his first trial.
“It was a really quick trial and he didn’t know what he was doing. He came through that really well and improved into his next trial and he improved out of that into this.
“I don’t know where his ceiling is but he’s a really nice colt.”
Rivellino is the second foal and first to race out of So You Think (High Chaparral) mare Intrinsic, who herself was a three-time winner for the Kris Lees stable, also owned by the Murray and Ireland families.
The mare also has produced a yearling colt by Written By (Written Tycoon), and has a foal at foot by State Of Rest (Starspangledbanner). She is currently in foal to Pride Of Dubai (Street Cry).