Lees hoping to find cutting edge in Razor Sharp

It has now been 20 months since the gifted but frustrating Tactical Advantage saluted the judge, but trainer Kris Lees knows his ageing speedster can still put his rivals in their place – and hopefully that is the case at Randwick on Saturday.

Tactical Advantage caught the eye, as he always does, with his fourth in the $1m The Hunter a month ago before being scratched from Rosehill a couple of weeks ago with one eye on the listed Razor Sharp Handicap (1200m).

Tactical Advantage was not at his best down the Flemington straight. Credit:Getty

‘‘He drew poorly a couple of weeks ago and this always looked the better race,’’ Lees said. ‘‘He’s come up with a good gate and had a trial in between. He was good in The Hunter, but so-so before that. It’s taken him a while to come to hand as he’s got a little bit older.

‘‘He’s a horse who needs a few things to go his way: he needs a good tempo, he has a good short sharp sprint, so he also needs a soft gate to utilise that. But he’s pretty effective if he gets the right set-up.

‘‘He went to Melbourne and was a bit plain down the straight. There was no tempo there for him. But his Newcastle run was quite good.

‘‘There’s a similar race in a few weeks again. As he’s got older, he’s got less liking for wet ground. Funnily enough, they usually go the other way, but we’ll give him a few more runs over the summer if he can maintain his form.’’

Lees won the Razor Sharp three years ago when Zestful and jockey Christian Reith held off I Thought So in a thriller as she went around at $13, the same price Tactical Advantage is in early markets.

James McDonald will jump from barrier five on Tactical Advantage. Godolphin’s consistent mare Athiri was a $3.90 favourite yesterday.

Gary Portelli’s Spaceboy was just collared last start and will look the winner somewhere up the straight. Snitz had a gap close quickly on him in the same race yet was entitled to still do a bit more hitting the line.

Meanwhile, Australian Turf Club track boss Nevesh Ramdhani said the course proper, which has not been raced on since Melbourne Cup day, was in top condition.

‘‘There’s a beautiful cover of grass and it will only get better as we head into January,’’ he said.

The meeting will also double as a proper farewell for popular Randwick horseman Pat Webster who has called time on his brilliant career and had a one-off race named in his honour.

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