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By Ray Hickson

A little bit of inside family knowledge attracted Kris Lees to a Too Darn Hot colt at last year’s Inglis Classic Sale and it could be the key to his first Golden Slipper success at Rosehill on Saturday.

Trainer Kris Lees

The colt that would become Rivellino is the result of Lees being a little more active at the yearling sales and, remarkably, he will only be the Newcastle trainer’s second runner in the world’s richest race for two-year-olds.

He shelled out $180,000 for the son of a mare called Intrinsic, who Lees trained to win three races from 26 starts, and he goes into the Group 1 $5m TAB Golden Slipper (1200m) unbeaten in three starts and already with over $1.4m in the bank.

“I had his mother, so I knew the family reasonably well. She raced better than what her record suggested and it’s not hard to be a fan of the stallion,’’ Lees said.

“He’s developed into (a Slipper horse), his immediate target was the Millennium with the Slipper in the back of the mind. It’s certainly come into focus post-Millennium.”

It’s 48 years since Lees’ father Max trained Luskin Star to win the Golden Slipper and in all his years of training so far Kris has only had one Slipper starter – Elimbari in 2010.

Rivellino, $10 with TAB on Friday, beat Within The Law to win the $2m Inglis Millennium on February 8 then emerged as a Slipper contender beating Skyhook, who won last week’s Pago Pago Stakes, in the Skyline on the same day Within The Law won the Sweet Embrace.

“I think the form around him is stacking up very well,’’ Lees said.

“It’s a very even race, I don’t know how to line them up but he’s three from three and no other horse has that going into the race. So we take some confidence in that.

“He has plenty left in the tank, he was only second-up with a five week gap.”

Lees has called on now Hong Kong based 2020 Golden Slipper winning jockey Hugh Bowman to ride Rivellino.

Having jumped from wide barriers in both the Millennium and Skyline, Lees is content with gate three for Rivellino and says he’ll just require the breaks at the right time to be in the finish.

“I’d rather draw in that out, I see a bit of pressure out wide,’’ he said.

“He’ll be in that mid section regardless but I think back on the inside off what is probably a good tempo I don’t think is the worst spot as long as he gets clean air.

“I’ve had a good chat to Hugh, he’s watched all his races and he’ll be able to work it out. He knows what he’s doing.

“Luck in running will certainly play its part but he’s going to be strong late.”

Stayer Cleveland returns from a spell as a gelding with Lees hoping the gear change will spark a turnaround in form for the former import.

The seven-year-old tackles the Group 3 $250,000 Asahi Super Dry NE Manion Cup (2400m) first-up since October and Lees said it’s natural to think he’ll benefit from the run but kicking off in his comfort zone will be a plus.

“Whether (the gelding) is too late I don’t know but he hasn’t beat a horse home since the Moonee Valley Cup (of 2023), Lees said.

Rivellino wins the Skyline Stakes

“He just didn’t come up in his next preparation but I can’t fault how he’s going off the back of a gelding operation.

“Whether that translates to race day we will see. He’s had a long preparation to be ready to start off at his preferred distance.

“He will be a bit ring rusty but he will benefit from the day out. He’s sprinted okay in 2000m races first-up previously.”

All the fields, form and replays for Golden Slipper day at Rosehill