David Hayes has a big week ahead – in two countries.
The trainer will oversee Tashbeeh’s final preparations in Dubai and will watch the colt run in the Listed Meydan Classic (1400m) on Thursday night.
He will then board a plane back to Melbourne but is unsure whether he’ll get to see exciting filly Sistonic make her stakes racing debut in the Typhoon Tracy Stakes at Moonee Valley on Friday night.
On Saturday Hayes will be hoping either Claudia Jean or Air Apparent can rise to the occasion in the Group One Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield when the trainer chases his sixth victory in Melbourne’s feature for two-year-olds.
Sistonic, who is closely related to Black Caviar, has been an impressive winner of her two starts at Sale and Moonee Valley in restricted company.
She runs in the Group Three Typhoon Tracy Stakes (1200m) and Hayes is confident she can make the step up.
“She’s going to be pretty hard to beat I think,” Hayes said.
“She’ll run great and would have to be a great chance of getting black type.
“It will be a test and a step up in class but she’s one I’m confident will be able to handle it.”
Hayes, who trains in partnership with his nephew Tom Dabernig, sent Sistonic to Moonee Valley on January 30 for a benchmark race for fillies with a view to giving her a look around the circuit before her first stakes test.
Hayes says he is excited about the filly’s prospects and hopes he makes it back in time to see her race.
“Unfortunately I’m going to be coming back from Dubai and I may not get there,” he said.
First-up Flemington winner Tashbeeh is owned by Sheikh Hamdan and the colt makes his first Dubai appearance in the Meydan Classic for three-year-olds.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” Hayes said.
The colt could head to the Group Two UAE Derby (1900m) on World Cup night next month but Hayes said he might earn a shot at a bigger race on that program.
“If he wins (the Meydan Classic) he might get a berth into the Dubai Duty Free and that’s what we’d love to do,” he said.
