Kris Lees’ Rivellino wins 2025 Inglis Millennium at Randwick

After much hype pre-race Kris Lees’ Rivellino has won the $2 Inglis Millennium at Randwick. The two year old, who is named after legendary Brazilian soccer player from the 1970s and 80s Rivellino, finished nearly half a length ahead of Bjorn Baker’s Within The Law ($5.50).

Jockey James McDonald rode the winning horse, while Jason Collett guided the runner-up. Tyler Schiller and Price Tag –the betting sites favourite, with $3.60 odds to win– finished disappointingly in 7th place.

Rivellino delivers

Rivellino was purchased for just $180,000 at the Inglis Classic sale in 2024. Through two starts, the colt has already paid back his fee and then some.

Kris Lees’ rising star burst onto the scene with a pair of impressive open trial runs at Beaumont and Rosehill Gardens just before the New Year.

He then showed his class in his first competitive start with a win in the Drinkwise Plate (1000m) against fellow rising stars, including Cryoseisms and Turner’s Point Score.

The win on Saturday means that Rivellino is still perfect in his career. It also brings his total prize money over $1.3 million, which is an impressive sum for such a young horse.

Trainer sees potential

After Rivellino’s win, Lees talked at length about his colt. He focused especially on the galloper’s sky-high potential.

“He’s a lovely colt with a lot of upside,” Lees said.

“Those colours have been worn by some very good horses, my first ever winner Cherokee Lass carried them when she won her maiden at Newcastle back in the nineties, so they go back a very long way and it is a special feeling.

“He is a horse that has continued to improve while we’ve had him in work, and from the trials to the races he has continued to go the right way.”

McDonald echoed the trainer’s sentiment.

“He’s a ripper,” he said, “I rode him in a recent trial and he gave me an excellent feel, and that was just what we wanted to see today.”

Lees then talked about what he and his team have seen as key to unlocking Rivellino’s potential and some future tactics they might employ.

“We put the blinkers on at his second trial, and he hasn’t had them on since he raced so we thought we’d keep them up our sleeve with a view that he’s probably more of a seven furlong horse in future, but he was pretty good today,” Lees explained.

Team eying Golden Slipper

Lees also let it slip after Rivellino’s win that he thinks the colt could be a contender for the Golden Slipper and some Group 1 races later this season.

“He’s a smart two-year-old and I’d say we’ll be pushing on to some degree. You could see him in the Golden Slipper, for sure,” said Lee after the race.

It’s not clear yet which is the best path for Rivellino to qualify for the $5 million race at Rosehill. If he is unable to run, the Group 1 Inglis Sires’ and Champagne Stakes are other races Lees has under consideration for the two year old.