Yulong Xingsheng to run in Twilight Glow

The Kris Lees-trained Yulong Xingsheng will get her latest chance to snare a valuable stakes win in what is planned to be the filly’s final start of the spring at Sandown.

Yulong Xingsheng has finished second and fourth in Listed races for fillies at her past two starts and is set to line up in Saturday’s Listed Twilight Glow Stakes (1400m).

The Twilight Glow is one of 10 stakes races on the Sandown program, highlighted by the Group Two Zipping Classic (2400m) and Group Two Sandown Guineas (1600m).

Lees also has nine-year-old Doukhan nominated for Saturday’s Listed Sandown Cup (3200m).

The Newcastle-based trainer had been looking to keep the last-start Randwick winner in Sydney for a race 2700m-race at Canterbury next week but after weighing it up on Tuesday has now decided to keep options open and plans to accept for Saturday’s Sandown race.

“We’ve weighed it up and we’re now going to accept on Wednesday and then make a decision later in the week,” Lees said.

“We’ll keep our options open, just in case it falls away a bit.”

Yulong Xingsheng has won one of her five starts and made her first Melbourne appearance when fourth to Our Crown Witness in the Lexus Hybrid Plate a week ago at Flemington.

“She didn’t have a great deal of luck in her most recent run at Flemington and with even luck she probably would have figured in the finish,” Lees said.

“This is a similar type of race and she’s held her condition, so she deserves her spot in the race.

“She had a gallop this morning at Caulfield and appears in good order. It will be her fifth and last run of the preparation but she’s done a good job so far.”

Having already achieved black type with her placing in the Reginald Allen Stakes two starts ago, a stakes win would enhance the filly’s future value.

“That’s the aim,” Lees said.

“After Saturday we’ll put her away for the autumn.”