Lindsay Park will have a two-pronged attack on the new look Ballarat Cup which this year carries record prize money of $500,000.
Fifty Stars and Alfarris will represent David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig in the Listed race over 2000m on Saturday.
This year the race has been shortened from 2200m to 2000m following the construction of the synthetic track with configuration of the new circuit unable to accommodate the longer distance.
While the race has been shortened, prize money has increased from $350,000 to $500,000.
Senior trainer David Hayes said Saturday’s race was an opportunity for Fifty Stars to pick up a healthy prize money cheque.
After being narrowly beaten by Fierce Impact in the Group One Cantala Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on the opening day of the Melbourne Cup carnival, Fifty Stars returned the following week to finish fifth in the Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) on November 9.
“I thought he stayed on quite nicely last time and the $500,000 is a nice carrot,” Hayes said.
“And all the weight-for-age horses have gone out for a spell.
“He nearly won the big mile race at Flemington and he seems in good order and at the end of the spring I thought why not give it a go.”
Alfarris did not measure up to Lindsay Park’s lofty expectations during the spring and Hayes said the stable was instead looking to summer options with the stayer.
He said the Ballarat Cup would be a stepping stone to the Listed $300,000 Pakenham Cup (2500m) on December 7.
The Lindsay Park-trained Pilote D’Essai won the Ballarat-Pakenham Cup double in 2016.
“I didn’t think he was quite good enough during the spring so we’ll get him on the summer leg,” Hayes said.
“He can go to the Ballarat Cup, then the Pakenham Cup and on to the Bagot Handicap and then we may look at the Adelaide Cup.”
For the second time in as many years Lindsay Park will not be a player at Perth’s summer carnival with Hayes saying the stable does not have the right horses.
