TOP Newcastle trainer Kris Lees will look to Saturday city races with Virtuous Miss after she helped the stable score wins in two states on Melbourne Cup day.
Virtuous Miss ($3.60) backed up a breakthrough win midweek at Doomben on October 13 with another city victory in Queensland, lunging on the line to edge out Fetch in a 1000m class 1 handicap with Andrew Mallyon aboard at Eagle Farm on Tuesday.
It was the four-year-old mare's second win in nine races after she was second twice at both Scone and Gosford in a frustrating start to her career in NSW.
Lees was now eyeing Saturday races in Queensland for Virtuous Miss.
"She's got some Newcastle owners and she's done a good job now," Lees said.
"She always showed us a bit early, but she was a bit disappointing.
"Now she's starting to show us her true colours. We'll give her an opportunity on a Saturday up there now."
At Muswellbrook, Miracle Day broke through on debut for Lees as a $1.30 favourite in a 1000m maiden plate.
The four-year-old gelding came from the Victorian stables of Robert Hickmott after four placings in six starts and he had little trouble putting away his rivals on Tuesday following two trial wins at the track.
Despite running wide on the turn in search of clear running, Miracle Day quickly took over in front under jockey Aaron Bullock and was eased up on the line in winning by almost two lengths from the Nathan Doyle-trained Millennium Jewell.
"He's a nice horse and he showed a bit in his trials so it wasn't a surprise to see him win, but he looks like he's got a bit of upside," Lees said.
Fellow Newcastle trainer Doyle was earlier a winner on the card, producing Keikoku for a victory on his racing debut in the 3YO maiden plate (1000m) as a $17 outsider.
Apprentice Brandon Griffiths took Keikoku down the middle of the track and the gelding did enough late to overhaul the Paul Messara-trained Shalstar by almost a length.
The Muswellbrook program got off to a dramatic start when the Mary Moses-trained Justfour ($9) dead-heated with another Scone galloper, Messara-prepared favourite Montari ($2.40), before winning on protest. Montari, with Bullock aboard, laid in on Justfour inside the final 100m of the 1280m maiden handicap and stewards upheld the protest from connections of the Rachael Murray-ridden three-year-old filly.
Scone-based apprentice Madeline Owen pushed the Dean Mirfin-trained Saint Ay to a front-running win in the second race, a benchmark 58 handicap (1750m).
Upper Hunter trainers took out the last two races.
Muswellbrook horseman Tim McIntosh claimed the benchmark 58 handicap (1000m) with Discompose ($10), which narrowly held off the Justin Bowen-trained Upside. Discompose is now two for two with McIntosh after coming from the Scone stables of Stephen Jones.
Remlaps Gem ($2.35), for Scone trainer Scott Singleton, easily won the 900m race to finish the program.
