Trainer Kris Lees said Newcastle Cup winner Mugatoo could instead target the group 2 Hill Stakes (2000m) after gaining a one-kilogram penalty in the group 1 Metropolitan (2400m) for his victory on Friday.
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Mugatoo carted a 59kg topweight to claim the group 3 Newcastle Cup (2300m) by 1.5 lengths as the $2.40 favourite, giving Lees a first win in his $200,000 home feature. Mugatoo's weight for The Metropolitan was raised to 57kg on Monday.
The six-year-old was a $3 TAB favourite for the $750,000 race but Lees said the $500,000 weight-for-age Hill Stakes on the same October 3 Randwick program was another option.
"He won't go to the Epsom," Lees said. "It will either be the Metropolitan or the Hill Stakes."
Lees was disappointed with the Metropolitan penalty, saying "I thought he had a sufficient weight after the handicap was out and I didn't think the Newcastle Cup would lend itself to a penalty".
The group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on October 3 had also been considered but Lees said on Tuesday "that would mean we'd have to get him down to Melbourne now, which is probably not the right thing to do".
Meanwhile, Lees has farewelled enigmatic mare Miss Fabulass, which has been retired to stud.
The daughter of champion sire Frankel and Lees' three-time group 1-winning mare Samantha Miss finished with three wins in 19 starts and stakes of $438,765.
She won the group 2 Tea Rose Stakes in brilliant fashion, was a neck away fourth in the group 1 Flight Stakes and was runner-up in the group 1 Coolmore Classic, but her sometimes fiery temperament cost her much more success.
The five-year-old again overraced when pushing to the lead then fading to finish second-last in the Cameron Handicap over 1500m on Friday.
Lees said she was one of the most brilliant but frustrating horses he has trained.
"Her attitude in the run on Friday convinced us it was time," Lees said.
"We couldn't trust her, to race her for another season. She's such a valuable mare and one of the more talented horses I've ever trained, but unfortunately her race record probably won't say that.
"She still has a very good record but it should have been a lot better."
Samantha Miss remains the best horse Lees has trained and he still has two other of her progeny - Sammy and Geo - in action.
Geo, a four-year-old gelding, returns at Canterbury on Wednesday in a benchmark 78 handicap (1250m). He has one win and two seconds from four career starts but is racing for the first time in six months following two trials.
"He had a throat issue that needed to be rectified but he seems to have come back well," Lees said.
"You won't know until you try him under race conditions but he's in good order."
On Saturday at Rosehill, Lees will have Evalina in the group 2 Golden Pendant and Chianti in the listed Heritage Stakes.
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