Senior Lindsay Park trainer David Hayes is eyeing off the magical mark of 300 winners for the season.
After a successful run that produced 17 winners in nine days up until Sunday, the Lindsay Park stable sits on 244 winners for the 2016/17 season.
With a little over two months of the season remaining Hayes is hoping to again reach the magical number.
Hayes, who now trains in partnership with his son Ben and Tom Dabernig, was the first to pass the 300 win barrier in 1991/92, a feat since matched by only John Hawkes and Darren Weir.
Weir first passed the mark in 2015/16 while this season is pushing towards 400 having already trained 372 winners.
Hayes admits the task will be difficult but believes the stable remains a chance to achieve it.
“It wasn’t a target but I’m hoping we can get there,” Hayes said.
“It’s only been done by a few trainers and I think we should go close but are no certainty of getting there.”
The stable is hoping it can go some of the way to replicate its quartet of winners from Flemington last week at Sandown on Saturday.
They will saddle another “old timer” Jacquinot Bay in a handicap over 1600m.
Nine-year-old Jacquinot Bay is a year younger than stablemate Extra Zero who was successful at Flemington at his 100th career start.
By comparison Jacquinot Bay has been lightly raced with Saturday’s race his 58th start.
But Jacquinot Bay has a better winning strike-rate, recording 13 wins compared to Extra Zero’s seven.
Jacquinot Bay’s most recent win was over 1400m at Flemington last June and the gelding is coming off a last-start ninth in the Wagga Cup on May 5.
“He’s very good at Sandown so you never know with him,” Hayes said.
“His trackwork suggests he’s going to run well and this looks a little easier than his last couple of runs.”
