Evaporate set for Caulfield debut
The Lindsay Park stable of Ben, Will and J D Hayes will get a better understanding of their latest debutant after he races at Caulfield.
Evaporate faces six opponents at his first start when he heads to the Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes (1100m) on Saturday.
The son of Per Incanto, who sired last year’s Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Little Brose, has not been ruled out of a start in that race, but first the Lindsay Park team wants to see how the colt performs on Saturday.
But long term the stable has a high opinion of Evaporate, saying he will get better with age and experience.
“He’s a big strong colt,” J D Hayes said.
“He’s come through our education process and has trialled up well and has earned his place, but I think he will be better three-year-old.
“We’ll get him through Saturday first to see how far we press on with him. It will be a lovely bit of education for him to have a day at the races.
“We love Per Incanto. I wouldn’t say he’s under-rated, but you couldn’t buy one in New Zealand anymore as they were making nice money.”
Evaporate is one of 81 two-year-olds that remain in contention for a start in this year’s Blue Diamond.
With the exception of Express Yo’self, Evaporate’s five remaining opponents all remain in contention for the Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on February 24.
Lindsay Park also hopes to get Bold Bastille to the Blue Diamond.
An impressive winner at Moonee Valley on debut in October, Bold Bastille was being set for the Blue Diamond Series, but her campaign was interrupted with a bad blood count.
Hayes said the filly would have a jump-out at Flemington on Friday after which a decision would be made on whether to press on to the Blue Diamond.
“She has plenty of quality and her form has been franked, so I’m looking forward to seeing her trial on Friday and we’ll decide on her after that,” Hayes said.
“She had a bit of a high white cell count, so we did the right thing by her and backed off because if we pushed her through, we probably would have lost her for the whole autumn.”
More Racing News
Midnight Dynamite's Path to the Big Dance After Rosehill Win
Connections of Midnight Dynamite are keen to see the horse contest a $3 million prize following his commanding performance in the Winter Challenge at Rosehill.Having added Saturday's stakes race to his triumph in last month's Listed Civic Stakes (1400m), the gelding is now slated for the Coffs Harbour Cup (1600m)...
Bold Soul's future may be over jumps after Flemington success
Connections have found Bold Soul, trained by Patrick Payne, to be a good earner on the flat, but his future might be better suited to hurdles.Bold Soul secured the Deane Lester Flemington Cup 1849 (2800m) at Flemington on Saturday, adding to his seven prior wins from 33 starts and boosting...
Sword Of Legacy's determined win follows Band Of Brothers' Ramornie success
Matthew Dunn's stable has enjoyed a prosperous week, capped by Sword Of Legacy's hard-fought victory at Rosehill. This triumph arrived just three days after Band Of Brothers, carrying the same lime, purple, and gold Hesket Thoroughbreds silks of David Moodie, captured the Ramornie Handicap at Grafton.Sword Of Legacy, sent out...
Ko Phangan claims Byerley Handicap at Flemington
The Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young stable continues its impressive run in qualifying races for Classic contenders with Ko Phangan's recent victory at Flemington.Ko Phangan's win in the Byerley Handicap (1800m) secures a coveted ballot exemption for either the Victoria Derby (2500m) or the VRC Oaks (2500m) during the Melbourne...
Joint Venture earns carnival ticket with Rosehill triumph
A late-developing two-year-old, Joint Venture, is now in contention for the initial three-year-old feature races after securing a crucial win at Rosehill.The impeccably bred son of I Am Invincible, a $625,000 yearling acquisition for the Newgate stallions syndicate, displayed significant progress from his debut second at Wyong, asserting his class...
Betwitchery ready to extend winning streak first-up
Betwitchery is set to extend her winning sequence as she makes her return to the racetrack at Flemington.The Leon and Troy Corstens and Will Larkin-trained mare is scheduled to begin her new racing campaign in the VRC Member Brendan Sobozynski Plate, a 1200-metre contest, this Saturday.Betwitchery, who has won five...
Littlefield targets Magnolia Cup after Flemington engagements
Trainer Charlotte Littlefield is scheduled to travel back to the UK in approximately a week to participate in a charity race at the renowned Glorious Goodwood Festival.The Magnolia Cup is a distinguished charity event this year supporting Education Above All. It aims to gather funds to ensure access to education,...
General Salute set for Winter Challenge under favourable wet conditions
The arrival of overnight rain has alleviated Sterling Alexiou's primary concern regarding General Salute's prospects in the final black-type race of the Sydney season, following his recent victory in the Winter Stakes.All four of the gelding's previous wins have been recorded on rain-affected tracks. Earlier in the week, with Rosehill...
Burning Heartz set for Adelaide Stakes test
Trainer Gavin Bedggood envisions a future for Burning Heartz in an Oaks race, but his immediate goal is to secure some valuable Stakes black type for the filly.Burning Heartz, a winner on debut at Sandown on July 1, is now heading to Adelaide to contest the Group 3 South Australian...
King Pedro defies odds in thrilling Grafton Cup victory
King Pedro has cemented his credentials for the spring staying races following an exceptional display to win the Listed Grafton Cup, navigating a slow-paced affair.Trainer Tom Charlton, observing from his Sydney base, admitted to initial apprehension regarding the track's bias against backmarkers. These nerves were amplified when Tahlia Fenlon, on...