Hayes closes in on century in Melbourne
The Lindsay Park team has moved closer to a century of Melbourne winners for the season with a treble at Caulfield.
Victories to two-year-old debutant Tycoon Dancer, five-year-old sprinter Shaf and three-year-old stayer All Out Of Love on Saturday has taken the stable’s season tally in Victorian metropolitan races to 92.
Darren Weir leads the premiership with 112 wins, three behind the record set by Lee Freedman in 2005-06.
Lindsay Park’s David Hayes prepared 103 winners in 2006-07, one of his premiership-winning seasons in Melbourne, and now in partnership with his son Ben and nephew Tom Dabernig appears likely to better that mark before the end of July.
“We’re a chance. And if we don’t this year, we’ll smash it next year,” Hayes said.
“We’re in the nervous nineties now. And that’s terrific.”
All Out Of Love ($19) brought up the stable’s third win when he came from last in the Noel Rundle Handicap (2000m).
The gelding, coming off a win in a benchmark race over a mile on the Pakenham synthetic track, was last approaching the home turn before hooking wide and making his winning run.
Fontein Lad was also at the back of the field and after angling into the clear he charged late but just missed to finish a head behind while Billet Doux was 1-1/4 lengths away third.
“It was a really good staying performance,” Hayes said.
“He’s going to be a better four and five-year-old I reckon.”
All Out Of Love was among the tailenders in last year’s Victoria Derby and the Queensland Derby next month is an option.
“I don’t think he’s quite ready for it but that race has got a good record of producing a Derby runner,” Hayes said.
“So I’ll just see how he pulls up. I’d rather be more conservative and just let him go through his grades.”
Hayes has a high opinion of two-year-old Tycoon Dancer who won the Chef’s Hat Plate (1100m) on debut and will now be put away with the spring in mind.
“I think he’s a really exciting horse,” Hayes said.
Mick Price also prepared a winning treble at the meeting on his home track courtesy of Pedrena, Onpicalo and Run Gypsy Run.