The Lindsay Park team of Ben, Will and J D Hayes hope their two sprinters Joyful Fortune and Acromantula do not bring each other undone in a Stakes race at Flemington.
The pair meet in the Listed Bob Hoysted Handicap (1000m) on Saturday with each drawing on opposite sides of the track in the dash up the Flemington straight.
Joyful Fortune has gate two and Acromantula barrier 10.
“Luckily, they have drawn opposites, as they both like to bowl, and hopefully they won’t take each other on and can go one-two,” Ben Hayes said.
Joyful Fortune will be having his third start for the Lindsay Park team.
The eight-year-old’s career has been plagued by injury and restricted to just 12 starts.
Having started out in Hong Kong, winning twice in 2020 and 2021, Joyful Fortune returned to Australia where Mark Newnham prepared him to twice at Flemington during 2022.
With Newnham moving to Hong Kong, Joyful Fortune was placed into the care of Ciaron Maher, without racing, before moving to Lindsay Park last year.
Hayes said a lot of work had gone into getting Joyful Fortune back to racing, with the sprinter finishing third in the Group 3 Standish Handicap and then last in the Group 1 Lightning Stakes.
“We tried running him in the Lightning, but he found them too good, and he’s right back in class now,” Hayes said.
“There’s a lot of managing with him. He had to get passed to race here in Victoria and that’s not always easy to do.
“He’s trained down at Pakenham because the facilities down there are so good. They have good flat tracks, good grass access, they’ve got that good back grass.
“He was very good for us down the straight and I think he’s found a race where he should run really well after a nice trial where he trialled up really well.
“He’s nice and sound, and he’s moving really well.”
Former Perth sprinter Acromantula will be having his second start campaign for Lindsay Park and his first start down the Flemington straight.
Like his stablemate, Acromantula is prepared at Pakenham now.
“He’s a horse that a lot of things have to go right with him,” Hayes said.
“He’s a very good fresh horse from our experience. He was super at The Valley when he flew the gates and got into a nice rhythm.
“He’s trialled up nicely and I think he’ll sprint well fresh.”
