News

Kris Lees pays tribute as Absolutelyfabulous retired

11th Nov 2009

The Hearld - Geoff Wilson - Thursday 12 November 2009

THE racing days of Newcastle's Cameron Handicap winner Absolutelyfabulous are over.

The Kris Lees-trained mare became a local hero when she won the group 3 Cameron over 1300 metres at Broadmeadow on September 16.

That victory gave Lees his first feature win on his home track.

Lees revealed yesterday that the six-year-old had not fully recovered from a "minor operation" on her joints.

"She was not 100 per cent after the operation, so it was decided now was the time to send her to stud," he said.

A stallion has not yet been chosen for the group 1-placed mare.

Absolutelyfabulous was bought for $45,000 and returned more than $830,000 in prizemoney from five wins and 13 placings in 37 starts.

"She did a great job. I wish another one would come along as good to replace her," Lees said.

Absolutelyfabulous showed ability from the start.

"She won a $500,000 Inglis sales race as a two-year-old and was still winning races like the Cameron as a six-year-old," Lees said.

She won other group races, including the Reginald Allen Stakes and the Eskimo Prince.

The mare by Langfuhr just missed out on group 1 glory when second to Forensics in the Myer Classic last year.

The Myer Classic is the group 1 race for fillies and mares over 1600m on Derby Day at Flemington.

At her final start, Absolutelyfabulous finished third to Eagle Falls in the Salinger Stakes at Flemington on Derby Day.

"That run showed she still had what it takes," Lees said. "She was on the wrong side of the track but still fought on bravely.

"That was her; she was brave from start to finish."

Absolutelyfabulous' devoted strapper, Jo Curtis, could not hide her emotions when told the mare's racing days were over.

"Jo rang me and was very upset. This mare was her baby," Newcastle Jockey Club operations manager John Curtis said after he spoke to his daughter. "Jo travelled her interstate and looked after her every day she was in Kris's stable."