Hayes stable update: Eurocanto primed after having rogue ways "rectified"

Lindsay Park Racing have plenty of gun runners kicking off their Spring Racing Carnival this Saturday.

From Eurocanto starting his three-year-old season after being gelded to Group 1 winner War Machine looking to get his career back on track, the Hayes stable are hopeful to leave a mark on the upcoming carnival.

Speaking on SENTrack & RSN’s Giddy Up, JD Hayes provided an update on some of their jets.

Eurocanto

The son of Per Incanto will be starting his spring preparation in Race 2 at Flemington on Saturday across 1000m.

The brown, who was gelded across his winter break, will be ridden by Blake Shinn and is currently $11 with Sportsbet to win his second career race.

Reflecting on that recent gelding, Will & Ben Hayes’ co-trainer is hopeful Eurocanto’s “rogue” race day tendencies will now be eliminated.

“He's had the ultimate gear change, so he's hopefully turned into the ultimate professional,” JD Hayes stated.

“He was always very quiet in the mornings, that's why we were a little bit perplexed as to, in the autumn, him being so rogue in his races.

“But he seems to have come back bigger, stronger, and much more mind on the job, which is key.

“Blake Shinn on board, he does have to carry a bit of weight, but he's a winner down the strait, and if he gets it right, he'll run a super race.

“He's got the ability, and if he learns to saddle, he'll get over 1400m plus.

“He's a horse with lots of talent, and his mind was just getting in the way. Hopefully we've rectified that.”

When JD Hayes was asked how he would spend a hypothetical $100 at the races on Saturday, the Lindsay Park trainer confidently stated he would be placing that full $100 on Eurocanto.

“I would be putting ($100) on Eurocanto because I believe in the ultimate gear change.”

War Machine

After going down as a $1.35 favourite at Pakenham on January 23 and disappointing in the Newmarket Handicap on March 7, War Machine is now returning for his first-up start, heading into the spring.

The gelding has completed two trials across 800m in preparation for his Spring Racing Carnival, and impressed, finishing first and fifth.

The son of Harry Angel will also be ridden by Blake Shinn and is currently the $3.60 favourite with Sportsbet to win the Group 3 Aurie’s Star Handicap (1200m) at Flemington on Saturday.

“He's had a complete reset,” JD Hayes said about the Group 1 winner.

“Off his last trial, he looked like the War Machine of old.

“If he's the War Machine of old, recapturing his form from 12 months ago, he'd be right in this race.

“He does have to carry the weight (60.5kg), but that's because he's such a well credentialed galloper. Hopefully we're kicking off his campaign in good style.”

Regarding what went wrong with War Machine last prep, the co-trainer admitted he wasn’t entirely sure and is hopeful he can come back stronger.

“Not sure, he won emphatically down the straight at Flemington, and then he was thrown into the deep end, last spring,” admitted JD Hayes.

“When we came back in the autumn, it was a rock-hard track there at Pakenham that night, and we just decided after the poor Newmarket run to give him a long break because he had been up a long time.

“Hopefully it's a similar story to something like Coeur Volante where she thrived off having a nice long break.”

Touchdown

Touchdown will be second-up on Saturday at Flemington in Race 6 at Flemington and holds a short price of $2.15 with Sportsbet for the 1620m race. Blake Shinn will once again be in the saddle.

In fact, David “Gator” Gately has Touchdown as his best Melbourne bet of the day on Saturday.

The son of Almanzor’s first-up run was a second-placed finish at Sandown across 1400m on a heavy 9 track.

When asked how he has trained on following his first-up run, Will & Ben Hayes’ co-trainer exclaimed the gelding has been “enormous.”

“He's trained on enormous. If he drew a barrier first-up, he arguably would've won,” JD Hayes said.

“We would’ve loved to have seen an easy assignment for Black Shinn on board, but hopefully he comes back in good form and is able to navigate the wide barrier (10) because the horse is going extremely well.

“It does look a suitable race on paper. Hopefully we're able to get in the three-deep line with a bit of front cover and be coming down the middle.”

Listen to JD Hayes full update on the Lindsay Park stable ahead of the races on Saturday below: