Lindsay Park galloper Port Guillaume has already had a spin around in Australia’s most iconic race, the Melbourne Cup.
The now Ben, Will J d Hayes -trained galloper finished 21st in the 2021 Cup behind Verry Elleegant and nowadays he’s a stayer in lesser ranks while also competing over jumps.
Port Guillaume is down to run in the Listed Andrew Ramsden (2800m) at Flemington on Saturday as a pipe-opener for a return to jumping in coming weeks.
The Andrew Ramsden offers a ballot exemption into the Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington in November, but if successful, Port Guillaume is unlikely to take up that opportunity.
Port Guillaume is switching back from a last start second in the Galleywood Hurdle during the Warrnambool May Carnival.
It is a tactic that has worked successfully for Lindsay Park previously with the gelding.
Last June, Port Guillaume had finished fourth in a hurdle race at Hamilton before winning on the flat over 2540m at Flemington, defeating Warrnambool Cup winner Rolls.
“The thinking is we’ll give him a run on the flat as we’re getting him ready to go back over the jumps,” Ben Hayes said.
“But the last time we popped him over the jumps and brought him back to the flat, he won a race at Flemington over 2500 metres.
“This is a much stronger race, but it’s a nice tick over race for him that is worth good prize money.
“Hopefully he’s hitting line and that will set him up for another jumps race going forward.”
To date, all of Port Guillaume’s jumps races have been over hurdles, but the gelding is qualified to race over the bigger jumps having schooled over the steeplechase fences in preparation for the Galleywood.
Hayes said a maiden steeplechase at Hamilton on May 30 was in the stable’s thinking.
“He was good over the bigger jumps and that little bit of a slower pace will suit him,” Hayes said.
“Over the hurdles they get going early but, in a steeplechase, they have to respect the jumps a bit more and he’s a very good, clean jumper.
“There is a maiden steeplechase at Hamilton in a few weeks that we might look at with him.
“He enjoys jumping, it’s something that stimulates him and awakens him, so you never know what might happen on Saturday.”
