Biometric has surprised Lindsay Park by landing his first win on soft ground at Flemington and in the process earning a start in the VRC-CRV Winter Championship Final.
The Ben and JD Hayes-trained former UK galloper landed his second Australian win when he took out the Brian Beattie Handicap (1420m) on Saturday.
Ridden by Michael Dee, Biometric ($6.50) scored a long-neck win from Tavidance ($6) with the 4.40 favourite Edison a half-length away third.
Biometric showed plenty of promise in the UK as a young horse and won at Royal Ascot in 2019, taking out the Britannia Handicap, a mile race for three-year-olds, his third win in his first four starts.
Joining Lindsay Park in 2020, it took Biometric until May 2021 to finally breakthough for his new stable with Saturday’s success his only win since.
JD Hayes described Biometric as a quirky horse while also thanking the large contingent of owners for their patience.
“He has to be ridden perfectly and he was today,” Hayes said.
“He’s got a sprint of about 237 metres long, so you have to time it perfectly.
“He’s been in work a long time, but he’s in a really good zone at the moment and posted a good win.”
Biometric was down to run in the Swan Hill Cup last Sunday but was a late scratching after playing up in the mounting yard pre-race.
Hayes said missing that race may have been a blessing in disguise.
“Missing that opened up this race on our calendar,” Hayes said.
“He was very fresh and well within himself and we were quietly confident coming into today.
“The Winter Championship is definitely a possibility. That was his first win that he’s posted on a soft track, soft 7, so he’s an older horse that’s adding new tricks to his bag.”
