Kris Lees will look encouragingly to the autumn with Invincible Gem after she went within a bob of the head of a third group 2 victory on Saturday in the Villiers Stakes (1600m) at Randwick
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The six-year-old mare, likely in her last season of racing, and top jockey Hugh Bowman looked to have wore down Quackerjack on the line but the Mark Newnham-trained favourite got the nod in the photo finish.
"I can't believe it got beat, but that's racing. A bob of the head," Lees said of his $12 chance.
"She was in front either side of the post, but they only pay on the line.
"With the 59 kilos, she ran terrific. She couldn't have run any better."
Lees said before the race that Invincible Gem, a Missile and Emancipation Stakes winner, was likely to have rest after the run, and that remained the plan despite the near win.
"It will probably be the last run of the prep," he said.
"There's not a lot around now for a horse like her, the level she races at.
"We'll give her a little freshen up and go again."
Lees' other runner, El Dorado Dreaming, was galloped on in the race and finished 10th.
"She was a bit tender this morning but she'll be put away for the autumn," he said.
Turnberry was another close second for Lees at Randwick, finishing strongly behind Matowi in the benchmark 88 handicap over 1600m.
"He was brave again. He never runs a bad race. He always puts himself in the right place and gives himself a chance," Lees said.
"We'll find similar races for him over the Christmas period."
At Eagle Farm, Miss Fabulass finished eighth in the listed Lough Neagh Stakes (1300m) for Lees after blowing the start.
Lees was undecided what was next for the mare.
AAP reports: In-form jockey Rachel King ticked another box on her bucket list with her polished front-running ride aboard Quackerjack.
The win was King's first at group 2 level and, with a group 1 in the bag courtesy of Maid Of Heaven in last year's Spring Champion Stakes, the 29-year-old was happy to finally land a stakes-race clean sweep.
"I've been trying to win a group 2 for ages. I've got a few group 3s and obviously a group 1, but now I've done the group 2 as well and they're all for Mark," King said.
While King felt Quackerjack had held on to win, Newnham was not as confident.
"I thought he got beat," Newnham said.
"I'm sure the other one [Invincible Gem] had a head on him a stride before the line and probably a stride after, but it's the one on the line that matters."
Quackerjack's Villiers win held extra meaning for his trainer. The four-year-old was the first horse to join Newnham's stable when he took out a training licence and has endeared himself as a favourite thanks to his consistency and toughness.
His Villiers win gets him a ticket into the Doncaster Mile in the autumn.
"He was the first horse I bought at the sales," Newnham said.
"He never gives in. He is such a special horse to everyone in the stable because of his style of racing and how hard he tries.
"He gets a free kick into it (Doncaster) now and he goes in wet, dry. He'll probably only get 51 kilos so it's probably worth having a throw at the stumps."
Newnham praised King's ride while also giving credit to Josh Parr who had been Quackerjack's regular jockey.
Newnham expected Quackerjack to get a lesser handicap than 56kg so he locked in the lightweight King.
"I didn't think he'd get enough weight for Josh to get back on and that was always the plan, so I feel a bit sorry for Josh," Newnham said.
"But he's helped Rachel on giving advice on how to ride him."
Hugh Bowman was proud of the effort of Invincible Gem, who lumped top weight of 59kg and went down fighting.
"She thinks she won, I thought she won, but we didn't get the bob," Bowman said.
Bobbing started second favourite but was never a threat and finished sixth.