One of Australia’s highest prize money earners could be Perth bound later in the year for a race during The Pinnacles.
The Lindsay Park team of Ben, Will and JD Hayes has entered Mr Brightside for the $1.5 million Group 3 The Gold Rush (1400m) at Ascot on December 13.
Ben Hayes emphasised there was a lot of water still to go under the bridge before a final decision is made on whether Mr Brightside travels to Perth.
First, Mr Brightside has the Group 1 Champions Mile (1600m) at Flemington on November 8 with a potential back up in the Group 1 C F Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield the following week.
Hayes said moving the Orr Stakes to conclude the Melbourne Spring Carnival lessens the number of autumn races available to Mr Brightside.
This year Mr Brightside kicked off his autumn campaign in the Orr Stakes at Caulfield on February 8, took out the Group 1 Futurity Stakes (1400m) two weeks later and a fortnight later finished second in the All-Star Mile (1600m) at Flemington before travelling to Hong Kong.
“We’ve put him in the noms for Perth, and the thinking is that they’ve moved the Orr to being a week after the Champions Mile,” Hayes said.
“We just think that his prep in the autumn there is only the Futurity and the All-Star Mile and then you either go out to 2000 (metres) or you go to Sydney where there’s the Doncaster Mile, where he carries a big weight and the All-Aged Stakes.
“So, we’re leaving it open to travel. We’re not 100 per cent committed.
“There’s a lot of water to go under the bridge. He needs to run well in the Champions Mile and there’s also the option of backing him up in the Orr, but we’ve never backed him up before.
“If we do go to Perth, it keeps him ticking over from spring to the autumn.
“It’s a good opportunity to keep his fitness up, hit the Futurity really fit.”
Hayes’ grandfather Colin Hayes was a regular traveller to Perth for the Carnival as was the Hayes boys’ father David in his early years after taking over from ‘C S’.
“The trip over, it brings horses on,” Hayes said.
“You can argue his trip to Hong Kong improved him. He’s come back in career best form.”
Lindsay Park has nominated a number of horses including Evaporate, War Machine, Arkansaw Kid, Apulia, Alenquer, Here To Shock and Marble Arch for the Perth features that includes the Group 1 trio of the Railway Stakes (1600m) on November 22, the Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) on November 29, the Northerly Stakes (1800m) on December 6, before closing out with The Gold Rush.
