Ben Hayes chances of going one up on his father David by securing his first win in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic at the Gold Coast on Saturday took a blow at the barrier draw on Tuesday morning.
Lindsay Park’s Finance Tycoon drew barrier 21 and drifted from $8.50 to $9.50 with TAB fixed odds.
Hayes said that Finance Tycoon had good gate speed and he expected him to jump well but would be trapped wide.
“Finance Tycoon does have good gate speed, he will jump well but he will be wide,” co-trainer Ben Hayes said.
“There’s not much we can do about it now, we just have to go with the flow,” Hayes said.
Hayes and his training partner and uncle Tom Dabernig are hoping to end a frustrating run for Lindsay Park in the Magic Millions Classic.
David Hayes, who has relocated to train in Hong Kong, has trained seven placings in the race.
Four years ago David and Ben Hayes and Dabernig trained Madeenaty to run third in the race.
Prior to that he had finished second on five occasions and also a third placing.
The only Lindsay Park trainer to have had success in the race was David’s late brother Peter in 1998 with Catnipped.
Finance Tycoon won his second start at Flemington and the stable kept him in work for the Magic Millions.
They decided to follow the successful blueprint of recent years by racing him at the Gold Coast the week before the Magic Millions and he was successful last Saturday.
Five of the past eight Magic Millions winners ran the week before the race.
Hayes said Finance Tycoon was only 80 per cent fit to win last Saturday as he was already qualified for the race.
His jockey Luke Nolen said he felt Finance Tycoon had improvement to come.
Another Victoria trained galloper the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace trained galloper Fake Love also fared badly at the barrier draw being out in gate 20.
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott’s filly Swift Witness firmed from $4.60 into $4.00 equal favourite after drawing barrier 11, which was due to most of the fancied horses drawing poorly.
Waterhouse is aiming for her fifth win in the race.
Chris Waller’s She’s All Class eased from $4 to $4.20 after drawing barrier 18.
