Seafall leads Hayes family's charge in Winter Championship
While not initially the top Winter Championship contender for Lindsay Park, Seafall, an in-form mare, now carries the Hayes family's hopes for a significant victory in the Finals Day feature.
The five-year-old daughter of The Autumn Sun will be the sole representative for trainers Ben, Will, and JD Hayes in the $200,000 Listed race scheduled for Flemington this Saturday.
The Hayes dynasty has a history of success on Finals Day as the event has grown, but their last win in the day's principal race dates back to 1985 when the late Colin Hayes triumphed with Kiwi Slave.
Ben Hayes is pleased that Seafall is leading a strong contingent of runners for Finals Day. This group also includes Ndola vying for the Santa Ana Lane Final, The Western Front competing in the Banjo Paterson Final, Stylish and Grid Girl in the Leilani Final, and Stars Of Dom, Vivid Storm, and Resolutely in the Next Generation Final.
"You always like to have runners at Flemington and it has been a good meeting for us over the years," Ben Hayes stated. "I think we've going to have a good team there and hopefully we can get a winner or two."
Seafall is aiming to build on her current form in her first Stakes grade start since finishing eighth in the Group 3 Kembla Grange Classic as a three-year-old, when she was trained by Chris Waller.
Upon joining Lindsay Park last spring, she did not secure a win in her initial seven starts for the stable. However, she has since recorded four wins from her last five appearances.
Her most recent triumph was in The David Bourke at Flemington on June 20, a performance that secured her place in the Winter Championship Final.
"She's thriving, she's a mare in form and when mares are in form they just keep going," Hayes remarked. "She's a lovely, sound horse and I think it's a great opportunity for a mare like her to go for Black Type. If she draws a barrier and gets the right run she can go very close. There aren't many Stakes races this time of year, so it's a good opportunity to hopefully get some Black Type for her."
Seafall is one of 24 horses nominated for the Winter Championship Final, with the prominent entry being the previous year's champion, Jimmy The Bear.
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