Star sprinter Hay List is scheduled to make his first public appearance for seven months in a barrier trial at Randwick on Friday as long as the track is not too firm.
Due to construction work the trials have been switched from the course proper to Randwick’s Kensington track and trainer John McNair has some concerns about the surface.
His back-up plan is to give the horse a trial at Wyong on the same day but Randwick is the preferred option and with showers forecast in Sydney for most of the week, the ground should have some give in it.
Dual Group One winner Hay List, who has a long history of feet problems, was struck down by a life threatening leg infection after he finished second to Black Caviar in the BTC Cup and missed the spring.
His recovery has been slow and McNair is always cautious regarding his feet issues.
“He’s coming along well and we want to trial him at Randwick,” McNair said.
“I would have preferred the course proper because I am worried the Kensington track might be too hard.
“There are trials at Wyong on the same day but at this stage it will be Randwick.”
As long as he comes through the trial as well as McNair hopes, Hay List will be aimed at the Group One Lightning Stakes (1000m) at Flemington on February 18.
Plans include another tilt at the TJ Smith Stakes and All-Aged Stakes at Randwick and the KrisFlyer Sprint in Singapore before Royal Ascot in June.
“The Lighting is a leg of the Global Sprint Challenge so it would be good to get one out of the way,” McNair said.
“There is also the Expressway Stakes in Sydney the week before.
“We’ll just get the trial out of the way and then weight things up.”
Hay List finished second in the 2011 Lightning to his nemesis Black Caviar but she is taking a different route this autumn.
However, McNair has no qualms about meeting her again if it happens during the Sydney carnival.
“If he’s right she won’t be beating him again,” he said.
She beat him in the TJ Smith (1200m) last year before Hay List came out and won the All-Aged Stakes (1400m).
Hay List’s All-Aged Stakes reinforced McNair’s judgment about him running over 1400 metres, a distance the unbeaten Black Caviar has yet to tackle.
If they don’t meet in Sydney, the two are scheduled to clash at Royal Ascot where their opponents could include fellow Australians Sepoy and Foxwedge.
The John O’Shea-trained Foxwedge ran Sepoy to a head in the Group One Coolmore Stud Stakes during the spring.
AAP TURF
