Newcastle's premier horse trainer Kris Lees has conquered almost every major event on his home track, but one prestigious $1 million prize continues to narrowly evade his grasp as The Hunter approaches this Saturday.
The Elusive Hunter Victory
Kris Lees has remarkably finished second in the first three editions of The Hunter since the race began in 2019, with Tactical Advantage, Special Reward and Wandabaa all coming painfully close. More recent attempts with Gem Song (12th in 2022) and Rustic Steel (fifth in both 2023 and 2024) haven't yielded the desired result either.
"You always want to win your feature race at home," Lees confessed. "The Newcastle Cup is still a feature race, but from a money aspect, it's certainly this one [The Hunter]. We ran second the first three years, so hoping to go one better one day."
Lees' Dual Assault on 2025 Edition
For the seventh running of The Hunter, sponsored by the Newcastle Herald, Lees will saddle up two strong contenders - the experienced gelding Brudenell and the Australian Bloodstock-owned mare Infancy.
"I've been pleased with how both of them are racing," Lees noted about his duo. "Infancy went down to Melbourne and didn't have a great deal of luck down the straight, but will be better suited here at Newcastle. And the other bloke [Brudenell] is a stakes performer himself."
The Hunter's Growing Prestige
Newcastle Jockey Club CEO Duane Dowell observed that The Hunter has evolved into a target race for trainers nationwide, rather than an afterthought in their planning.
"I think they're targeting The Hunter from one month out or even a bit further," Dowell said following the race's official launch at Nobbys Beach. "That probably shows the importance of the race to the industry."
The race's honour roll demonstrates its quality, featuring champions like inaugural winner Savatiano, Everest runner Lost and Running, and last year's victor Briasa, who remarkably claimed a group 1 TJ Smith title less than six months later.
This year's nominations include former The Hunter champion Coal Crusher from Joseph Pride's stable, along with topweights Iowna Merc and Robusto from Bjorn Baker's team, and the in-form Yorkshire, who has only recorded wins and placings from eight career starts.
The Newcastle stand-alone metropolitan meeting also features the group 3 Spring Stakes and listed The Beauford, offering a combined $550,000 in additional prizemoney, making it one of the region's premier racing events.
