Newcastle trainer Kris Lees and jockey Blake Spriggs had mixed fortunes at draws for Saturday's group 1 Stradbroke Handicap and JJ Atkins Stakes at Eagle Farm on Tuesday.
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Lees has Australian Bloodstock pair Chief Ironside and Graff in the 18-horse Stradbroke, where Spriggs will ride the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained Hightail at 50kg.
Spriggs was an $11 chance with TAB after drawing well in five, which will be four with all emergencies out.
Graff, with Sean Cormack aboard, was $26 after gaining gate two. Cormack was a late booking for Graff and was given permission to ride him a kilogram over at 53kg.
Chief Ironside was drawn in 14, which will be 10 with all emergencies out. Apprentice Corey Bayliss has the ride on the $34 hope.
Spriggs also confirmed a JJ Atkins ride on the Robert Heathcote-trained Minjee, which then drew the extreme outside in 20.
Meanwhile, Racing NSW chief executive Peter V'Landys is hopeful of getting the green light to allow owners back on course to watch their horses race as early as next week.
Sydney racetracks have not had crowds since before the Golden Slipper meeting at Rosehill in March.
V'Landy's would like crowds back next month, and horse owners even earlier.
"They can stay and watch their race and then go," V'Landys told RSN. "Then we can gradually bring the members back and then the public which is going to be over a staged period."
"The owners are the lifeblood of our industry, they are the ones that invest.
"They are the first ones we should have back as they are the ones that are subsidising the industry."
V'Landys said he was in constant dialogue with the state government about getting crowds back to the racetrack.
He said crowds would need to be capped initially, ideally in hospitality areas where clubs could generate revenue.
V'Landy's pointed out in the past 50 days in NSW the infection rate has been less than 0.5 per cent.
"You are not going to get it much lower than half a per cent unless you go out and eradicate the virus," V'Landys said.
"The risk now is extremely low so there is no reason why crowds couldn't be let in.
"You continue with social distancing and hygiene and we can have infrared cameras measuring temperatures.
"With the relaxing of the social distancing measures we want to see if that has any effect, and if it doesn't and the infection rate stays at half a per cent, which it has for 50 days, the risk of catching the virus at a venue is next to nil."
