Brudenell, a $5 chance, went to nine wins in 17 starts when Mark Zahra gave him an ideal run from midfield then clear passage at the top of the straight.

The four-year-old Russian Revolution gelding ran down Maharba to win by three-quarters of a length. An $80,000 yearling buy for Lees, Brudenell has now earned $669,500.

Saturday's win, Lees' first with Zahra, was Brudenell's sixth run in a preparation that started with The Warra at Kembla Grange on November 25.

Lees was looking for another rich sprint given Brudenell's strong effort through the finish line.

"He's been up a while and he's doing a great job," Lees said.

"He's a really tough horse with a terrific win record.

"Where we go next, we don't really know. We'll just let the dust settle, but he'll probably come home before we make a decision on what he runs in next.

"It was a strong win against good opposition, and a great ride. He's a super rider, Mark Zahra, and I was lucky to get him. He got the right alley but he got the perfect run, too."

On Saturday, Lees also qualified a third runner for the $1 million Provincial Midway Championship final at Randwick on April 13 when Willinga Beast was runner-up to Kim Waugh's Shadows Of Love in the Gosford heat.

The mare joins Tavi Time and Convincebility from the Lees stable in the decider.

"She was good," Lees said.

"The alley had her wide throughout and the winner is a good horse, but she went super."

Newcastle trainer Nathan Doyle was another winner at Rosehill, when Kerrin McEvoy-ridden Super Bright took out the Midway Handicap.

Newcastle jockey Dylan Gibbons was on runner-up Peak on a day of narrow defeats. Gibbons had four seconds on the program, including a close loss on Semana behind Zougotcha in the group 1 Coolmore Classic.

Tavi Time was second at Rosehill in the last.

"He got beat, but he was second-up staying at the 1400 and he's a horse who wants a mile or further," Lees said.

"We'll have four weeks now just to keep him on the fresh side for the $1 million race, then he'll go up in trip off the back of it."

Adam Ruggari will weigh up a trip to Melton with Saifa after he led in a winning hat-trick for the Sawyers Gully trainer and top driver Jack Callaghan at Newcastle Paceway.

Saifa, Dadndave and Miss Out won on Friday night for the group 1-winning combination, which teamed up to claim the Hunter Championship with Far Out Bro in 2022.

A $1.40 favourite, Saifa worked forward early to lead en route to a 6.1m win over 2030m.It was the three-year-old's second victory in three Newcastle starts.

"Saifa was quite short and he was pretty impressive in his first win," Ruggari said.

"He just didn't have a lot of luck last start. He got caught behind one that stopped.

"He was a pretty expensive purchase from New Zealand so we expected good things from him.

"He's got a Vic-bred bonus in him and there's a three-year-old metro race at Melton on the 30th, so we're tossing up whether to take him to that."

Veteran Dadndave ($3.60) had a similar win before three-year-old filly Miss Out ($4.60) led throughout, both over the mile.

"Dadndave had been racing pretty good, with a couple of seconds, so he was knocking on the door," he said.

"Same with Miss Out. The only two times she's been out the back is when she got checked and galloped, so it was just a change in luck."

Karuah trainer Sam Rees believes the beach life has helped revitalise Murrurundi Boy, which delivered him a rare Wentworth Park win on Saturday night.

Murrurundi Boy led throughout from box one to take out a masters 520m race in a time of 29.71 seconds, and Rees was now looking to bigger targets with confidence.

"There's masters heats to a final down there in April," Rees said. "The idea of this run was to give him another look at Wenty for that.

"His last two runs he's run personal best times, and to run that time at Wentworth Park is pretty special."

Rees believed Murrurundi Boy had responded well to his training methods.

"He was about two and half years old when I got him. He'd had 30 starts and done nothing," he said.

"I've probably changed a few things with his training. I spend a fair bit of time with them on the beach and they get a lot of free galloping. It just seems to keep him fresh.

"I let him out in his run and he picks up his toy and runs around, throwing it in the air and kick his heels up. I think that attitude is keeping him fresh."

Rees has Curyo Dancer and Exalted Fire in at Maitland on Monday night.

"Dancer is a work in progress," he said. "Later on I think she will run distance and I'm contemplating a 600 for her. This 450 is just a run for her. She's good out of the boxes but pretty one-paced."

"Exalted Fire, she's probably the fastest dog I've got but probably the slowest at box rise."