Motorace set to drive home Adelaide win

The Lindsay Park stable of Ben, Will and JD Hayes has hit the ground running in the early part of the new season and will look to add a win in Adelaide to their tally on Saturday.

The Hayes boys sit at the top of the Australian Trainers’ Premiership with 17 winners after the first two weeks of the season, leading the behemoth that is the Ciaron Maher stable by one victory.

Lindsay Park came out of the blocks early after being stranded on 199 wins last season and are sending Motorace to Morphettville Parks on Saturday looking to build their tally.

Motorace runs in the PFD Food Services Handicap (2250m) having been scratched from a 2100m contest at Sandown on Wednesday.

Ben Hayes said he and his brothers had been put off by an improving track at Sandown and thought with rain forecast in Adelaide that was the better option.

“We’ve been trying to find the right race for him, and I think we have over in Adelaide,” Hayes said.

“He’s drawn well there and hopefully he can get that win as he’s gone close on a few occasions, but he needs a bit of cut in the ground.

“At Sandown, it ended up a Good 3, so we thought we’d pull him out and there is a bit of a chance of some rain over in Adelaide.

“He’s deep into his prep, so it’s probably the right time to travel and it looks a good race for him.”

Motorace scored successive wins at Albury and Cranbourne last November when with Ben Brisbourne who took a punt on tackling Stakes races in Tasmania earlier in the year.

Since transferring to the Lindsay Park operation, Motorace has steadily improved his form as the races have got longer, finishing second over 2100m at Sandown on July 17 before a last start fourth over 2400m at that track on July 31.

“He won’t be lacking fitness wise,” Hayes said.

Lindsay Park has decided to keep Beast Mode in Melbourne to run in the Quayclean Handicap (1100m) at Caulfield on Saturday having also been an acceptor in the Sportsbet Same Race Multi Handicap (1000m) at Morphettville Parks and in the James Squire Handicap (1100m) at Rosehill.

“We’re basically trying to find the most winnable race,” Hayes said.

“He was drawn a bit awkwardly in Sydney and Adelaide and he’s drawn OK in Melbourne, so we’ve elected to stay in Melbourne with him.”