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By Ray Hickson

There’s a sense of enthusiasm from trainer Kris Lees that he has exciting sprinter The Bopper ready to enjoy a successful summer campaign and make up for lost time.

Trainer Kris Lees

The four-year-old, who hasn’t raced since February, returns in the Schweppes Sprint (1000m) at Randwick on Saturday in good health after a virus forced Lees to abort a planned winter preparation.

He trialled twice in June but clearly wasn’t as sharp as Lees is used to, a stark contrast to his two more recent hitouts.

“The virus had no long term effect but he just wasn’t 100 per cent,’’ Lees said.

“He trialled but he couldn’t shake it, he just wasn’t right so we decided to give him paddock rest and he’s come back well.

“I was really pleased with his trials this time around. You can’t replace match practice but he’s certainly ready to go to the races and he will be competitive.”

There was something of a boom on The Bopper as a younger horse as he won three of his first four starts including the Listed Brian Crowley Stakes in October 2020.

To be fair Lees has always kept the lid on expectations and he hopes with a bit of time since his campaign last summer the gelding can now go through his grades.

Lees said The Bopper, $3.70 favourite with TAB on Thursday, is probably not a genuine 1000m dasher but from the inside alley Hugh Bowman will give him every chance.

“He will just ride the horse and the race will unfold around him,’’ he said.

“One way or the other there’s a fair bit of speed out wide but he will be forward from the inside draw and where he is will depend on the pace of the race.

“I’m really happy with where he’s at, in a 1000m race he’s far from a good thing but he will run well.

“He’s a gelding, he’s a benchmark 78, so he will be placed where he can win going forward.”

The leading Newcastle trainer will have four representatives in Saturday’s $150,000 Sky Racing Summer Provincial Series Final (1600m) on his home track and says Grande Rumore is the top pick.

Lees confirmed Toomai would run at Canterbury and that leaves him with Newcastle heat winner Grande Rumore, Hawkesbury heat winner Juventus, last week’s Kembla heat winner Azarmin and Darleb, who was runner-up in the Wyong heat.

“I’ve always thought Grande Rumore was the one for it, she’s in well at the weights, but she has to overcome a tricky draw for her now,’’ Lees said.

“Darleb is racing in career best form, he’s had two Saturday wins in Brisbane albeit the last one was a Sunday but it was a transfer from a Saturday.

“Him and Juventus are probably a little suspect at a mile. Azarmin, you can’t do any more than win, is backing up seven days off a soft win so that profiles pretty well.”

The Bopper wins a trial at Wyong on December 1

Meanwhile, stable star Mugatoo will return to Lees’ stable early in the new year after missing the spring with a tendon injury sustained in the Doomben Cup earlier this year.

He said it will still be some time before the gelding is back racing but all the signs are positive so far.

“His latest vet check up was pleasing but we won’t see him until the back end of autumn,’’ Lees said.

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Randwick meeting