The Lindsay Park stable of Ben, Will and JD Hayes finished just shy of 200 winners in the recently completely season and will be looking for an early Stakes race win at Flemington on Saturday.
The brothers prepared 199 winners Australia wide for the 2023-24 season and got the 2024-25 season off to a good start with an early double at Cranbourne on Thursday.
But at Flemington on Saturday the Lindsay Park team will be pinning their hopes in Crosshaven (Smart Missile) and Nicolini Vito (Nicconi) in the Gr.3 Aurie’s Star Handicap (1200m).
The Daniel Nakhle bred and raced Crosshaven, who officially turned seven on Thursday, has been a difficult horse to follow later in his career but has struck form of late since being restricted to straight racing at Flemington.
The gelding won the Gr.3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude (1400m) as a three-year-old and later the Gr.3 Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) at Flemington and as an older galloper the Gr. 3 Kevin Heffernan Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.
But he was in the wilderness for a time until breaking back into winning form over 1100m at Flemington on June 22.
JD Hayes said races like the Gr.2 Bobbie Lewis Quality (1200m) and the Gr.2 Gilgai Stakes (1200m), down the Flemington straight, could be on Crosshaven’s agenda if he runs well on Saturday.
“He has a liking for the straight and has got himself back into form, so we’ll keep to the straight if the program permits it,” Hayes said.
“He’s been up a long time, but he’s very fresh and well in himself and he’s a rock-hard fit gelding and he’s done terrific with the time between runs.”
Among their winners at Cranbourne on Thursday was talented three-year-old Evaporate (NZ) (Per Incanto), who broke through for a strong maiden victory over 1400m, having contested Group races in his two-year-old season.
“Today was almost D-Day so he needed to get the victory on the board for some patient owners,” stable representative Will Evans said.
“We have always had a very high opinion of this horse and he has come back this preparation as a gelding.
“He was a bit unlucky the other day (when second at Ballarat). Today Mick Dee just took him to the front today and made him do it and he should go through the grades now and he handled the wet ground well.”
