Seafall wasn’t Lindsay Park’s top Winter Championship seed coming into the campaign, but the in-form mare carries the Hayes family’s hopes of a drought-breaking win in the Finals Day feature.
The five-year-old daughter of The Autumn Sun will be the lone representative for Ben, Will and JD Hayes in the $200,000 Listed event at Flemington this Saturday.
The Hayes family has been a regular in the winner’s stall on Finals Day as the card has evolved, but hasn’t won the day’s signature event since the Hayes boys’ grandfather Colin Hayes won the 1985 edition with Kiwi Slave.
Ben Hayes is happy for Seafall to be leading a big team of Finals Day runners, which includes Ndola in the Santa Ana Lane Final, The Western Front in the Banjo Paterson Final, Stylish and Grid Girl in the Leilani Final and Stars Of Dom, Vivid Storm and Resolutely in the Next Generation Final.
“You always like to have runners at Flemington and it has been a good meeting for us over the years,” he said.
“I think we’ve going to have a good team there and hopefully we can get a winner or two.”
Seafall will be out to continue her progression at what will be her first start in Stakes grade since an eighth placing in the Group 3 Kembla Grange Classic as a three-year-old, when trained by Chris Waller.
She joined Lindsay Park last spring and didn’t win in her first seven starts for the team, but has peeled off four wins from her past five starts.
The most recent success came in The David Bourke at Flemington on June 20, which sealed her spot in the Winter Championship Final.
“She’s thriving, she’s a mare in form and when mares are in form they just keep going,” Hayes said.
“She’s a lovely, sound horse and I think it’s a great opportunity for a mare like her to go for Black Type.
“If she draws a barrier and gets the right run she can go very close.
“There aren’t many Stakes races this time of year, so it’s a good opportunity to hopefully get some Black Type for her.”
Seafall is one of 24 nominations for the Winter Championship Final, which is headlined by defending champion Jimmy The Bear.
