Hay List has taken advantage of a Black Caviarless sprint to win today’s Group 1 Newmarket Handicap in which the son of Statue Of Liberty had to carry 58.5kg to take out the $1 million dollar event. Buffering finished a very gallant second and Foxwedge ran third but was lengths away from the first two.
Star sprinter Hay List has won his third Group One race by shouldering topweight of 58.5kg to a courageous victory in the $1 million Newmarket Handicap at Flemington.
Trainer John McNair was initially against running the six-year-old because of the weight but the gelding’s owners, the Davenport family, bit the bullet and decided to start him in the time-honoured 1200m feature.
Perfectly ridden by Glyn Schofield, Hay List settled in the middle of the big field and set out after the leader Buffering in the final 300 metres to get up right on the line.
Three-year-old Foxwedge was third.
Schofield was full of praise for Hay List who took his record to 15 wins and five placings from 22 starts for prize money in excess of $2.4 million.
“This fellow deserves his time in the sun,” he said, referring to Hay List running into unbeaten champion Black Caviar on many occasions and coming off second best.
“Full marks to John McNair.”
Hay List had previously scored at the elite level in the All-Aged Stakes at Randwick and Manikato Stakes at Moonee Valley.
