Will Hayes is confident Stealth Of Night has the talent to make an impression beyond benchmark company, but for now it is about making the most of present opportunities with the imported mare.
The daughter of Night Of Thunder will run in the $130,000 benchmark 74 over 1400 metres on Saturday’s Flemington card.
The Trilogy Racing-owned mare is chasing a hat-trick of wins after back-to-back benchmark 70 victories at Sandown in December and Hayes, who trains in partnership with brothers Ben and JD, is excited about see her continue her progression.
“She’s a very exciting mare, she’s obviously had quite an intensive injury history previous to this preparation and it’s just taken time to get it back to where she needs to be,” Hayes said.
“She’s been very tough the way that she’s won at Sandown, doing all the work from wide gates and then lifting herself off the canvas and putting them away.
“The way that she’s been winning in the benchmark races suggests he has a very good ability to progress.”
Stealth Of Night earned a rating lift to 78 after her most recent Sandown win under Craig Williams, meaning she has 60kg in Saturday’s race, but Hayes said the team is considering utilising the 3kg claim for in-form apprentice Jackson Radley.
Stealth Of Night’s only other start this campaign realised a narrow first-up second placing at Cranbourne on Cup Day, while her two starts earlier in 2025 brought wins at Pakenham in autumn.
The 2025 efforts followed a 15-month break after her debut run, a second placing in a Geelong maiden in December 2023, and Hayes is thrilled that she has been able to get some continuity into her racing.
“Because she missed so much of her racing life being injured, we did go the conservative approach, to build her through the grades, but she has good ability and now she’s really coping with every challenge we give her,” he said.
