Boom Time will be on trial for the rescheduled Sydney Cup at Caulfield
Boom Time will be on trial for a crack at the rescheduled Sydney Cup when he runs over a staying distance on the undercard to the Easter Cup at Caulfield.
The Group One Sydney Cup (3200m) was declared a no-race at Randwick last Saturday because of concerns over horse and rider safety after Almoonqith broke down and Who Shot Thebarman also came down and lost his rider.
Almoonqith, who was trained by David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig, had to be euthanised.
While some of the riders heard the calls from officials to pull their horses up, the first six kept going for the entire 3200m.
The Sydney Cup has been rescheduled for Saturday week and David Hayes said Boom Time could head that way if he runs well in Saturday’s Robert Taranto Handicap (2400m) at Caulfield.
“I think he’s in good form. He likes a mile-and-a-half and he’s on trial for a trip to the Sydney Cup,” Hayes said in the stable’s weekly update.
“I’m expecting him to run well.”
Boom Time will be ridden by in-form apprentice Beau Mertens who has an opportunity to close the gap on Craig Williams at the top of the Melbourne jockeys’ premiership.
The leading apprentice is six behind Williams who is riding in Sydney on Saturday.
Mertens has nine rides on the 10-race program including another runner for the Lindsay Park team, Miss Gunpowder, who is favourite in the M & D Dillon Constructions Handicap (1200m).
“It’s her first run for the stable. She’s been trialling well and I think she’s a classy mare,” Hayes said.
Mertens has rides in the two feature races, linking with the Mick Price-trained Onpicalo in the Victoria Handicap while in the Group Three Easter Cup he rides Tarquin for Godolphin.
