The Western Front seeks more staying honours

The Lindsay Park training operation, managed by Ben, Will, and J D Hayes, is anticipating a fruitful outcome with their in-form stayer at Flemington.

The Western Front is slated to compete in a 2500m handicap this Saturday, aiming to build on his consistent recent performances.

This galloper, originally from New Zealand, was the winner of the Listed Sandown Cup (3200m) on May 31 and will be aiming to secure his fifth victory of this campaign on Saturday.

The Western Front commenced his racing year in January, recording fourth-place finishes in two 1600m events at Flemington and Pakenham before hitting winning form over 2025m at Cranbourne.

Following a trip to Sydney, The Western Front's campaign saw him victorious over 2400m at Caulfield and then over 2500m at Flemington, both in April.

The gelding's least successful outing, according to the form guide, was in the Listed Andrew Ramsden (2800m), where he finished sixth.

Despite the appearance of a disappointing run, J D Hayes conveyed that the stable was far from unhappy, a view supported by his subsequent triumph in the Sandown Cup.

Zibulon, who finished second at Sandown, has since gone on to claim second place in the Brisbane Cup (3200m) last Saturday. In the Andrew Ramsden, the runner-up Pounding secured second place in the Q22 at Eagle Farm.

"He was quite good in the Andrew Ramsden at set-weights as he was giving a lot of weight away," Hayes said.

"He's rock hard fit, he stays well.

"Ideally, we would love to stay at 3200 (metres), but this was the next option in Victoria, and he's shown that he has trained on beautifully."

Hayes indicated that no definitive plans are in place for The Western Front currently, but as long as the gelding remains in good form, he will continue to race through the winter months.

Future races under consideration include the Banjo Paterson Series Final (2600m) at Flemington on July 4 and the Deane Lester-Flemington Cup 1849 (2800m) two weeks thereafter.

"The remaining staying races through the winter are possibilities and then be the fit horse in the early part of the spring," Hayes said.

"We'll go run by run, but the plan is not to stop and hopefully he can be a bit of an ATM.

"They win more money in work than out of work."

Given The Western Front's current strong staying form, checking out Australian betting sites for the best racing odds is a wise move.