Each race in Evaporate’s (NZ) (Per Incanto) winning streak has been a new test and Lindsay Park will take his education to a new level this Friday night.
The son of Per Incanto will chase a fourth-straight win in the $300,000 Group 2 Stutt Stakes at Moonee Valley.
The Valley has been the scene of three-year-old handicap wins for Evaporate at his past two starts, victories that followed a Cranbourne maiden success, and Ben Hayes said he had earned a shot at Stakes company.
The 1600-metre event will double as a Caulfield Guineas audition.
“He just keeps improving, he’s got a good record at The Valley and I think it’s a good opportunity to head there,” Hayes said.
“It will be a harder race, but he deserves to be tried in harder comp.
“The Valley’s a unique track, not all horses like it, and I think it’s a good opportunity for good prizemoney and it’s one of the lead-ups to the Guineas, so it keeps the dream alive.”
Hayes, who trains in partnership with brothers Will and JD, said Evaporate had similar ability to Tijuana, who won the 2022 Stutt Stakes before finishing fifth in the Caulfield Guineas won by Golden Mile.
Last year’s Stutt Stakes was won by Griff, who then became the 11th horse complete the Stutt Stakes-Caulfield Guineas double.
“Tijuana ran really well in the Caulfield Guineas, he was only beaten a length, so he was thereabouts and, this horse, I think is very similar ability to him,” Hayes said.
“It’s actually a proven formula, it nearly worked for us, so we’ll stick to it.”
Michael Dee retains the ride on Evaporate on Friday night with the pair to jump from barrier two in the field of nine.
Rivals include blueblood colts Dawn Service (seven) and Daggers (one), Anthony and Sam Freedman’s Spring Champion Stakes prospect Henlein (nine) and Detroit City (three)
