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By Ray Hickson

There’s little doubt trainer Kris Lees has earmarked loftier targets than midweek races for imported mare Samoot but for now she'll endeavour to keep her unbeaten local record intact at Kensington on Wednesday.

Trainer Kris Lees

Lees gave a glimpse of his opinion of Samoot by nominating her for the Group 3 Birthday Card Stakes (1200m) this weekend on the back of a dominant first-up win at Canterbury late last month.

The deeper end will have to wait a while longer as Lees wants to see the four-year-old back up that impressive debut in the Impending @ Darley Handicap (1400m).

“You don’t know how (imports) will go until you put them under race pressure, she responded well but you just like to see them do it again,’’ Lees said.

“She’s got to earn her stripes to get (to stakes level).

“She showed us enough in her work and trials going into Canterbury and she probably was aided by heavy ground.

“She has a good wet track profile and she’s going to get conditions to suit again. You just never know how the track is going to race.

“If they are making ground she’ll be suited.”

Samoot came to Lees with a handy record from seven starts in the UK, where she was trained by Sir Michael Stoute, with both wins coming in the 1400m distance range and a second over a mile at Ascot.

Lees said it was encouraging to see her be so sharp, even considering the heavy ground, over 1250m first-up given all indications are she’ll relish that mile trip in Australia.

“She reacted well first-up over the shorter trip off a good tempo,’’ he said.

“She’s pretty stock standard which is always handy for a mare, especially a European mare. Some can take a little while to settle in but she’s been fine.”

Jason Collett again partners Samoot, $2.60 favourite with TAB on Tuesday, and Lees warned not to overlook stablemate Lunakorn ($18) with a class drop on her first run for the stable.

Lunakorn drew wide in the Group 3 Triscay Stakes (1200m) at Randwick a month ago and settled last and while she finished 12th of 13 hers may have been a hidden run.

Punter’s Intelligence showed her last 600m of 33.81 was only 0.21 outside the race’s best and her last 200m of 11.59 was third quickest in the race.

“She was an okay run first time out, she had good late sectionals. She’ll get a nice run from the gate and she should run well,’’ Lees said.

The Newcastle trainer has already won three Polytrack Provincial-Midway Championships qualifying races in 2022 and Fleet Air Arm is headed that way after the Vinery Yearlings Handicap (1100m).

The gelding won his first three starts before finishing fourth behind Remlaps Gem over 900m on his home track on March 4 but Lees said that was to compensate for missing a run due to Canterbury being abandoned a day earlier.

He was then scheduled to run in the Gosford Provincial-Midway qualifier last weekend but was pulled out of that after drawing an outside alley.

“He’s a nice horse and he will be better suited at 1100m than the 900m the other day,’’ Lees said.

Samoot wins at Canterbury on February 25

“We were off the bridle chasing all the way. This was the next most suitable option.”

It’s likely Fleet Air Arm will get his chance in either the Wyong qualifier or the Provincial-Midway Wild Card.

Meanwhile, classy galloper Mugatoo’s comeback from injury has been delayed slightly by the recent heavy rainfall. Lees said there are no problems with the gelding but he has missed some important work.

“It’s held us back from galloping, we want the right surface before we test him but he seems well,’’ he said.

“I was considering a race like the All Aged Stakes but I’d think that will be highly unlikely.”

All the fields, form and replays for Wednesday's Kensington meeting