Stars aligning for Brudenell in the Southern Cross Stakes

It has been just under a year since Brudenell finished a close fifth in the Oakleigh Plate, and trainer Kris Lees is optimistic that the stakes performer is returning to that level of form.

The five-year-old was beaten by less than two lengths in the Group 1 sprint, but some minor issues interrupted his winter campaign. Brudenell will be aiming for a strong performance in his fourth run of the current preparation in the Southern Cross Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday. After a luckless third in the Canterbury Sprint (1200m) last time out, Lees expects him to be competitive.

“He had a good preparation this time twelve months ago,” Lees said. “Then he went to Brisbane and he just had a couple of little niggles so he’s had a fair bit of time off. His most recent run on New Year’s Day he was quite luckless, and you could probably make a case that if he gets clear running a little earlier, he just about wins the race. That would suggest he’s getting closer to his best form.”

Brudenell has proven form over Saturday’s track and distance and has drawn an advantageous barrier four for an economical run. He will be seeking his first win since taking out the Listed Bel Esprit Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield in March. While Lees is cautious about the in-form pair of Accredited and Disneck, both carrying the 53kg minimum weight, he is happy with how Brudenell (57kg) is progressing.

“You’ve got some progressive horses with no weight on their backs, I am always mindful of that,” Lees said. “But I’m happy with how he is going into the race.”

Josh Parr will again ride Brudenell, who has been the subject of some early support, with his odds tightening from $13 to $10 on Thursday. Accredited is the slight favourite at $2.90, followed by Willaidow ($4.20) and Disneck ($5.50).