A win by Americain in Saturday’s Australian Cup would be an emotional one for Lindsay Park trainer David Hayes whose mother Betty died overnight.
The Lindsay Park dynasty, begun by Hayes’ late father Colin Hayes and his wife Betty, has won most of the major races around Australia including five Australian Cups.
Colin Hayes won the race with Bush Win (1974) and Dulcify (1979), David Hayes with Better Loosen Up (1991) and Niconero (2009) and David’s elder brother, the late Peter Hayes, with Istidaad (1999).
The 2010 Melbourne Cup winner, Americain is a new stable acquisition for Hayes and is trying to win the Group One weight-for-age feature first-up, not having raced since winning the Sandown Classic (2400m) in November.
Hayes sees the Australian Cup as a very important race for the entire from a spring point of view because if he won he would become a Cox Plate contender.
“He’ll be at his peak in The BMW, that’s his main aim,” Hayes told Radio Sport National.
“This is an important race though because if he can win it will put the Cox Plate on his radar which would be sensational for his stallion value.
“We are hoping he can really show a turn of foot at 2000 metres.”
Hayes said he had been guided by Americain’s handler Stephanie Nigge, who worked for the horse’s previous trainer Alain De Royer-Dupre but was still looking after the horse.
“Basically we’ve adapted a routine which is similar to the Werribee routine that he had (when in quarantine the past two springs) but shorter,” Hayes said.
“It’s sort of new territory for the horse but I’ve had a lot to do with At Talaq, Jeune, Fraar, Istidaad and Almaarad and he works like those horses.
“So I think fresh he might even win at seven (furlongs, 1400m).”
The last time the son of Dynaformer raced at less than 2400m was when third over 1600m at Gulfstream Park in January 2010 at the end of a four-race stint in the US, his only placed effort there.
The seven-year-old has won 11 and been placed in six of 28 starts but has raced at less than 2400m only four times.
Three of those races were at the beginning of his career when he won his only start as a two-year-old over 1400m at Chantilly and then as a three-year-old finished third in a Listed 1600m race at Deauville and sixth of seven in a Listed 2000m event at Chantilly.
Hayes has readied Americain with exhibition gallops at Seymour and Moonee Valley and said his coat was dappled up, his legs in perfect shape and his action free.
The Euroa-based trainer wants a truly-run race as he said the likely leader, Mackinnon Stakes winner Glass Harmonium, might be hard to pick up in a slowly-run affair.
“I do think he (Americain) relaxes very well though,” Hayes said.
Due to the shock scratching of the Anthony Freedman-trained $3 favourite Lucas Cranach, Americain has again taken over as top pick in the market with TAB Sportsbet which tightened his quote from $3.20 to $2.30.
X-rays on Thursday found Lucas Cranach had taken a tiny flake off the back of a sesamoid which would require surgery.
The 2011 Melbourne Cup placegetter and first-up Group Two Peter Young Stakes (1800m) winner is expected to make a full recovery and be back for a spring campaign.
The Bart Cummings-trained Illo is second pick at $5.50 with Manighar at $6, Glass Harmonium at $7 and Caulfield Cup winner Southern Speed at $7.50.
AAP TURF
