Hay List won’t be heading to Adelaide for the Group One Goodwood at Morphettville on Sunday week and will instead go straight to Brisbane for another clash with champion Black Caviar in the BTC Cup at Doomben.
Trainer John McNair aborted plans to start Hay List in Sunday week’s Goodwood after South Australian officials were unable to confirm a charter flight for the star sprinter.
Last start Group 1 winner Hay List will miss this years Goodwood due to transport issues - Photo by Steve Hart
While the loss of Hay List from the $350,000 Goodwood is a major blow for Adelaide officials, it is a promoter’s dream for the Brisbane Racing Club which hosts the Group One BTC Cup (1200m) at Doomben on May 14.
McNair has confirmed Shane Scriven will replace Glen Boss who stood in for the injured Glyn Schofield in Hay List’s all-the-way victory in the Group One All-Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick last Saturday.
Scriven is riding an emotional roller-coaster after being suspended for five months following his infamous whip-stealing incident at Ipswich earlier this month.
He is riding on a stay of proceedings pending his appeal which will be heard by the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal on May 23, two days after the Group One Doomben Cup.
The date of the appeal means Scriven is free to retain his association with Perth stayer Scenic Shot in Saturday week’s Group Two Hollindale Stakes (1800m) at the Gold Coast and the Doomben Cup.
McNair remains confident Hay List can get the measure of Black Caviar, if not in the BTC Cup then in the Group One Doomben 10,000 (1350m) on May 28.
Unbeaten Black Caviar has won all three encounters with Hay List including their last clash when Hay List was runner-up to the wonder mare in the Group One TJ Smith (1200m) at Randwick on April 9.
“She is not rated the best horse in the world at the moment for no reason, and I concede that we need a lot of things to go our way to beat her,” McNair said.
“But in saying that I will take anything that comes our way. Once we get over 1200 metres and up to the 1350 metres and 1400, then I concede that I think things will swing back in our favour.”
Connections of Hay List opted for Scriven because he’s a heavyweight rider.
“The owners were keen to put Scriven on, he’s one of the best riders up there and he’s a natural heavyweight so it takes away the prospect of dead-weight,” he said.
“We’re not really concerned about him not having ridden the horse before because he’s gone well for everyone else, so I can’t see why he wouldn’t go well for Shane.”
The Group One KrisFlyer International Sprint (1200m) in Singapore next month has also been ruled out for Hay List.
AAP TURF
