Prized Icon has a Champagne Stakes and Victoria Derby on his resume from his time under the care of James Cummings and has put in only one poor run since moving to the Lees yard.

“I was disappointed in his Doncaster [where he ran 13th],” Lees pointed out. “But you find with horses like him that can happen at the end of a campaign. The are not many horse like that come up every campaign.

“He has a second to Winx in the Chipping Norton Stakes, which is like winning another group 1, and he wasn’t flattened by it. He came out and ran third in the Ranvet.

“The way he has come back he has a good race in him this time in. He is just a quality horse that rarely lets you down.”

Prized Icon has had two barrier trials at Newcastle, doing enough to win the most recent hitout.

“We are happy with him and I think he is ready for the 1400m first-up,” Lees said.

While Prized Icon has earned his 61kg, Lees is not too sure about Tactical Advantage and Dal Cielo earlier in the afternoon.

“The handicapper probably has a bit higher regard for them than I do at the moment,” he said. “Dal Cielo is a group 1 winner at New Zealand and pays for that and has got up in the benchmark quickly after that first-up win [in the July Sprint].

“We were thinking of going to Brisbane with him, which looks a better option, but I just don’t think he is seasoned enough for that trip away just yet.

“He is going very well and from the good draw should be hard to beat.”

Lees will also continue Admiral Jello on the path towards the Wyong and Newcastle cups in the Premiers Cup Prelude.

"He is getting up to a trip where you expect him to start to show up," Lees said.