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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Kris Lees, staring at just his second Golden Slipper runner and first in 15 years, concedes unbeaten colt Rivellino is going to need some favours to make it three straight at Randwick on Saturday.

Trainer Kris Lees (Pic: Steve Hart)

Those favours have nothing to do with his ability but the unkind set up he faces in the Group 2 $300,000 Catanach’s Jewellers Skyline Stakes (1200m) having drawn the outside barrier.

While it’s a much kinder starting point than the Golden Slipper course offers, Lees said he’s wary of Rivellino having to give away a start to another unbeaten youngster in Shaggy who has a front-running pattern.

“You can only worry about the horse and he’s in terrific order,’’ Lees said.

“He’s a very smart colt and from the alley we’ll have to be a little conservative early again. If Shaggy gets a soft lead it might be all over by the time we get cracking.

“In a perfect world it’ll be a high pressure race and it will suit backmarkers like him.

“Either way he’s going to run very well but how big a start we give to the favourite is yet to be determined.”

Rivellino, $6 with TAB on Thursday, is 11th in the order of entry for the $5 million TAB Golden Slipper on March 22 and therefore virtually assured a start, particularly given he will add to his prizemoney total on Saturday.

Lees’ only Slipper runner date was Elimbari who finished last in the 2010 edition. His father Max Lees won the race with his star spriter Luskin Star back in 1977.

To win the Inglis Millennium last start, Rivellino had to overcome another wide barrier with James McDonald finding cover in the second half of the field before he rounded them up.

Jason Collett takes over in the Skyline.

“He still didn’t get a lot of favours and he had to overcome the gate which he did quite well,’’ Lees said.

“He’s come on well, he’s had three weeks between runs so he’s had a couple of nice gallops.

“Everything would suggest he’s improved off his win which is pleasing.”

Collett had a good look at Rivellino in the Millennium given he was on the chief pursuer Within The Law who ran him to about half a length.

So he has a healthy respect for the colt and like Lees hopes there’s something to inject early speed into the race.

“He held me off last start when I was on Within The Law, I was mowing him down late but he’s a nice pick up,’’ Collett said.

“The wide gate makes things a bit more difficult but he’s a winner, he’s shown he knows how to win which is what I like.”

Meanwhile, Group 1 winner Amokura is close to making a return following a short winter campaign but Lees is in no rush with the 2023 Queensland Oaks winner.

Rivellino wins the Inglis Millennium

The five-year-old has only raced 11 times and will likely trial a second time before resuming.

“She’s had a couple of little niggles from Queensland so we’ve had to take our time,’’ he said.

“She’s still a few weeks away, she’ll run mid-to late March and that’ll tell us where she sits.”

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