Lindsay Park Racing trainers Ben and JD Hayes continued their rapid ascension into the top echelon of Australia’s training ranks on Saturday as they claimed their second Group One victory with two-year-old colt Little Brose.
Since they got their breakthrough Group One victory with fan favourite Mr Brightside in the Doncaster Mile in April last year, they had been striving to taste that success again with a number of close calls throughout the 2022 spring carnival.
As the autumn racing season begins to heat up, the who’s who of the racing descended on Sandown for the running of the 2023 Blue Diamond Stakes — a race which the Hayes family had previously won on nine occasions.
A field featuring top two-year-olds, the Lindsay Park runner opened as a $10.90 chance and came into the race on the back of a promising second-placed finish a fortnight prior to begin his autumn preparation.
But the jump up to the Group One stage was always going to be a tough one, as Little Brose lined up alongside stablemate Arkansaw Kid for the 1200m feature.
After jumping fairly, jockey Michael Dee showed great poise through the early portions of the race, as he settled midfield and assessed the tempo.
With The Instructor dictating the pace as the field reached the top of the straight, Dee still bided his time and waited for the perfect opportunity to pounce.
This would come in the form of a beautiful opening with 300m remaining, as the Hayes runner took the opportunity and made a barnstorming run up the middle.
The leaders stood no chance as the race reached its final 100m, as Little Brose motored right past them and cruised to victory by a length.
Yet another crowning moment in the budding career of this Lindsay Park duo, Ben Hayes said it was a thrill to follow in the footsteps of his legendary father and grandfather and etch the family name on the Blue Diamond trophy again.
“I’ve got so much adrenaline, I am just shaking right now,” Hayes told Racing.com after the win.
“I really felt that he was good enough to win and I genuinely felt like vomiting all day, but it was a beautiful run and beautiful ride from Michael — to hit the line so beautifully it was so exciting.
“I am thrilled for the whole team who worked so hard and thrilled for Mum and Dad at home as we continued the family tradition of winning Blue Diamonds.”
When it came to the run itself, Hayes was full of praise for the horse and jockey, as the race went entirely to plan from start to finish.
“He just had a beautiful run and never looked like losing,” he said.
“The winkers made him travel better and he was just so impressive in the way he went about it.
“I am thrilled for everyone and he is such an exciting prospect for us going forward.”
The day was made extra special by the performance of Arkansaw Kid, who ended up finishing in third to make it a Hayes double on the Blue Diamond podium.
“I actually didn’t know he ran third until about 10 seconds ago,” Hayes said post-race.
“I am so happy because I knew that horse had ability, he was unlucky in the Millennium, so to run third in a Group One it was a huge effort.”