Team Hayes looking on Brightside of the Cox Plate defeat

Ben Hayes and his brothers, Will and JD, are still trying to come to terms with being nosed out of Saturday’s Cox Plate with Mr Brightside, but they have not ruled out the prospect of having another crack at Hong Kong superstar Romantic Warrior before the year is out.

Mr Brightside, the flagbearer for Lindsay Park’s third generation trainers, could head to Hong Kong’s International Raceday in December where Romantic Warrior will also appear.

“I’d love a rematch,” Hayes said.

“It was only a bob (of the head) on the line.

“We’ll see how the horse is first and if he pulls up well, we could head there.”

Mr Brightside, with Craig Williams aboard, lucked out in a deceptive finishing to the $5 million Cox Plate (2040m), nabbed on the line by the Danny Shum-trained Romantic Warrior, who will return home to contest the Hong Kong Cup (2000m) on December 10.

The Hong Kong Mile is also an option for Mr Brightside, who turned in his best performance beyond 1600m in the Cox Plate, a race in which he finished seventh last year.

“There was just a better horse on the day, unfortunately,” Hayes said.

“We actually thought he’d won when they crossed the line, so that makes it that little bit worse, but he is just an absolute superstar.

“He’s ticked off that 2000 (metre box) and we couldn’t be prouder of the horse and the whole team at home.

“But we’re pretty shattered.”

The Cox Plate was Mr Brightside’s fifth run of a campaign that stated with wins in the Group 2 Lawrence Stakes (1400m), Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) and Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) before a second placing in the $5 million Group 1 King Charles III Stakes (1600m).