Newcastle trainer Kris Lees is hoping lightning can strike twice at Flemington on Thursday with plenty of reasons to think it can happen.

Well-bred filly Riapinka will represent the Lees stable in the $200,000 Gucci Stakes (1100m) for three-year-old fillies.

Lees won last year’s Gucci with another lightly-raced filly Onemorezeta, who had started only three times for two wins when she ran in the G3 race.

Riapinka tackles Thursday’s tough assignment with the same record.

Additionally, under the set weights plus penalties conditions of the race, Riapinka will carry the same weight (55kg) as last year’s winner.

And Onemorezeta’s owners Bob and Sue Hannon also race Riapinka with a syndicate which includes the trainer’s mother Vicki and former champion jockey Hilton Cope and his wife Marilyn.

Riapinka beat moderate opposition easily when resuming in a BM 60 (1100m) at Wyong on October 17.

Lees had also nominated Riapinka for Canterbury on Saturday but made the decision to send her to Melbourne.

“It’s a very open race, but she deserves her chance to get some black type at the Flemington carnival,” Lees said this afternoon.

“Riapinka has similar formlines to Onemorezeta. We’ll just have to wait and see whether she is good enough to do what the other filly did last year.”

Whereas Onemorezeta drew barrier eight in a field of 15 and came down the centre of the track to defeat Eloping and Tawteen, Riapinka has drawn barrier 18 in a field of 19.

Hugh Bowman will Riapinka, a filly by Black Caviar’s sire Bel Esprit from the Fastnet Rock mare Elimbari who was prepared by Lees and retired to stud after 13 starts.

She won on debut at Rosehill in 2010 before finishing down the course in Crystal Lily’s Golden Slipper Stakes.

Lees also starts Brook Road (Bowman) in Thursday’s $200,000 Mumm Stakes (1100m) for fillies and mares four-year-old and upwards.

Brook Road was responsible for an excellent seventh to Buffering in the G1 Moir Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley under lights on October 2 at her Melbourne debut then never had clear galloping room in the straight when a luckless ninth to Vezalay in the Listed Alinghi Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on October 17.

“She has trained on strongly since the Caulfield run,” Lees said. “I’m very happy with her.”