Latest news with #LoganBates
News.com.au
19-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Lindsay Park colt Shining Smile continues sprint dominance at Flemington with fifth straight win
Shining Smile refused to break his winning habit at Saturday's Flemington meeting. Shining Smile strung together four straight wins before going for a break following a Listed success at Flemington in March but had to work to make it five in a row in the VRC Member Sarah Hart Trophy (1000m). The Spirit Of Boom colt carried 59.5kg after apprentice Logan Bates' claim but would not wilt in the last 200m, getting the better of Oyster Lane late in the race despite giving the runner-up 4kg. The youngster's latest win took his stakes tally to more than $480,000 in seven starts, thrilling co-trainer Ben Hayes. 'He's done a great job today,' Hayes, who trains Shining Smile in partnership with his brothers Will and JD, said. 'To carry a big weight and give weight to all his competition like he did and be as tough as he was through the line, it's really exciting. 'Arguably, he's the best performed two-year-old for the whole year, albeit not in the big races. 'He's won three stakes races and he's got an exciting future ahead of him.' Shining Smile + Flemington Straight = ðŸ˜�ðŸ˜�ðŸ˜� Five in a row for the Hayes trained colt, he's a beauty! @Logez27 @lindsayparkrace â€' 7HorseRacing ðŸ�Ž (@7horseracing) July 19, 2025 • Derby path looms for Busuttin-Young stayer The Lindsay Park operation has always been known as a prolific producer of two-year-old winners, a reputation that stretching back decades to family patriarch Colin Hayes's days. Hayes said two-year-old winners had been a focus for the stable in the last two seasons, an approach that has borne fruit this season. 'It's been our best year to date with two-year-olds,' Hayes said. 'I think we've had nearly 30 winners for the year. 'It's something that we've really worked on in the last couple of years and something that our father (David) was very good at. 'It's nice to have a very good season and we've got some really exciting horses coming into the spring now.' Shining Smile will be one of Lindsay Park's representatives in three-year-old sprints early next season, including the Group 3 Vain Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on August 16. Hayes said the consistent galloper's prowess down the Flemington straight could lead him to tackle top company later in the spring as part of a Lindsay Park three-year-old assault on the carnival. 'He's a tough horse and he loves a fight,' Hayes said. 'We're really looking forward to seeing what he's got. 'He's got a pretty good record down the straight so he could be a horse for a race like the Coolmore. 'He's going to be right in a race like that.'
News.com.au
03-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Apprentice jockey Logan Bates eyes stakes success with Hughes in Winter Championship Series Final at Flemington
Breakout seasons – for horse and rider – could be rewarded with Listed Winter Championship Series Final (1600m) success at Flemington on Saturday. In-form Hughes, trained by Gavin Bedggood, has graduated from Benchmark 70 to Listed grade the past five starts, including four wins, with leading Victorian apprentice jockey Logan Bates aboard. 'Many thanks to Gavin and the (syndicator) Roll The Dice (owners of Hughes) crew for sticking by me and giving me the opportunity to have one of my first stakes rides on Saturday,' Bates said. 'It will be my first day riding in stakes races, I'll try not to dwell too much into it, ride like any other race and take the accolades after (hopefully). 'I've had a great season and the three people I'm riding for in stakes races Saturday have been my main supporters, Bedggy (and) Lloyd (Kennewell) and Lucy (Yeomans). 'It would be amazing to get one for them.' Madame Maserati in the She's An Artist ($1.65) and Fieldelo ($4.80) dominated Listed A.R Creswick Stakes (1200m). Madame Maserati is a $23 chance. 'She's An Artist will be pretty hard to topple but Lloyd has done a great job with his filly,' Bates said. 'She's earned her crack now, she's proven up the straight … I'm sure she'll be in the finish.' Hughes is $10 for the Winter Championship behind Oh Too Good ($2.90), Jimmy The Bear ($6), Cafe Millenium ($6.50) and Yellow Sam ($9.50). The market leaders, Oh Too Good and Jimmy The Bear in particular, are all drawn outside Hughes. 'I'm going into the race pretty confident … he's going to get a soft run, if he can show that turn of foot up to the mile at Flemington I think he can be a big hope,' Bates said. Hughes sustained a brilliant gallop last start from the back in the field to win at Sandown. Bates has ridden the hard-fit gelding in track work twice since and been impressed. 'I galloped him straight after his last run and he gave me the feel he was still there,' Bates said. 'I did his final piece of work on Tuesday, with his galloping partner, and he cruised up nicely under a hold, all good signs leading into Saturday. 'He's only a little horse but he holds quite good condition … if Bedggy had seen any inkling he's a bit different in demeanour (end of preparation) he wouldn't go to the mile.'
News.com.au
02-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Munhamek ‘flying' in bid for back-to-back Winter Championship Final wins
Reigning Winter Championship Series Final winner Munhamek has given Flemington trainer Nick Ryan every indication of another peak performance on Saturday. The nine-year-old iron horse, one of 15 acceptors for the Listed 1600m feature, has worked impressively in the build-up. 'This year's race may look a little bit stronger than last year but he's getting in with 4kg less, I think he carried 60.5kg last year and he gets in with 56.5kg,' Ryan said. 'His work at home suggests he's going as good as ever, he's drawn a really good barrier to get a good run … the horse is flying.' The winter final has attracted a strong field including last-start winners Oh Too Good, Jimmy The Bear, Yellow Sam, Hughes and Cafe Millenium. Munhamek, a 13-time winner from 73 starts, has raced consistently the past 12 months without ultimate success. 'He's a trainer's dream really,' Ryan said. 'He's nine, you wouldn't know it watching him work or watching him get around the stables. 'He obviously gave us a big buzz in Perth with Ollie's (Damien Oliver) last ride and put his hand up every year and won a few races in town, country cup. 'Every stable would love a couple (Munhameks) in their yard.' HUGHES 😰 Favourite punters get the result in a thriller to finish the day at Sandown! A double for Logan Bates ðŸ'� @Logez27 @GavinBedggood — 7HorseRacing ðŸ�Ž (@7horseracing) June 14, 2025 Munhamek finished eighth behind Winter Championship contender Hughes last start at Sandown. 'He just needed the run the other day, that run has really brought him on and his work on Tuesday was exceptional,' Ryan said. 'I knew how much improvement was there (from last start) and he's certainly improved a lot since then.' Ryan has trained a personal best 45 winners to date this season. The Flemington trainer has ambitions to build on the tally before the end of the month and then turn attention to spring with the likes of Highvol, Red Aces and Haaracaine. Ryan has Caulfield Guineas ambitions for unbeaten Highvol, while Red Aces and Haaracaine could be aimed at the Cups. Group 2 winner Red Aces was gelded after a lacklustre autumn campaign. 'He's had the ultimate gear change … we probably should've gelded him (last spring), he's been gelded now, so look for him in the staying races.'
News.com.au
13-06-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Gun hoop Logan Bates backs Hughes to deliver again at Sandown
Leading Victorian apprentice jockey Logan Bates is confident in-form and progressive Hughes could take another step forward on Saturday. Hughes has won three of the past four starts, all with Bates in the saddle, to warrant a 1400m Open Handicap bid at Sandown. 'He proved the other day he can be ridden from anywhere,' Bates said. 'If they're not going that quick he can be behind the speed and if they run along he can come from the back, he's a good little horse and I'm glad I got the opportunity to ride him.' Hughes is a $4.80 favourite on Saturday from The Open ($5.50) and Lim's Kosciuszko ($6.50). Bates first combined with Gavin Bedggood -trained Hughes to win a Benchmark 70 at Cranbourne in March. They won again at Caulfield and then placed third at the same track last month. Hughes rebounded last month with a strong 1400m Benchmark 84 win at Sandown. 'We tried to be brave at Caulfield, I probably rode him a length too close and he was catching the breeze that day and he was still gallant against a couple of nice ones,' Bates said. 'He got a beautiful run (last start) and surprised me (turn of foot) ridden that way, I'm still learning things about him. 'He's still got more to give, the other day I almost got to the front too soon, he did the same thing to me at Caulfield, he gets to the front and he thinks job done. 'The way he quickened up the other day I dare say I could've won by a bit more, it felt like I had a bit left in there.' Hughes defeated Mollynickers by 1¼ lengths last start. 'He's progressed the right way, first time I sat on him he was quite a nervy horse and got hot behind the gates and he's progressed to what he was the other day, all but bombproof,' Bates said. 'He knows his job, he looks good and I'm sure Bedggy will allow him to progress the right way.' Second-year apprentice Bates has piloted 65 Victorian winners this season, including seven in town. 'I couldn't have scripted this season, that I was going to ride 65 winners at this point,' Bates said. 'The first three months of the season I didn't ride a winner at all and got to back end of November-December and then January I went bang, I think I rode 20 winners in a month. 'From then it's kept rolling … if you can hold (form) for as long as possible it helps you gain the rides, Saturday speaks for itself, good numbers for a range of trainers, quality horses for quality trainers.' A forced 10-day holiday after Sandown is timely as Bates has ridden the past 10 months straight. 'I got suspended last Saturday (careless riding), which isn't ideal but the time off is probably going to be a blessing in disguise,' Bates said. 'I've got a week and a half off to let the mind recoup … it's starting to take a toll, the body is getting a bit tired so I think it will appreciate a week off from racing, more so the mind.' â– â– â– â– â– Hannah makes most of move Final year apprentice jockey Hannah Edgley is determined to build on recent momentum. A coveted first Flemington winner last weekend from one ride has led to seven bookings on Saturday at Sandown, including Hot Whiskers and Extreme Virtue. 'It was a big thrill, something I really wanted to do before I finish my apprenticeship, to get a winner at Flemington,' Edgley said. 'Awesome to tick that off and hopefully now it leads to a couple more (city winners).' Edgley moved from home Benalla to Pakenham this year to build connections with trainers and make the most of her metropolitan weight claim, 3kg currently. Edgley wiped her country claim quickly, with bulk winners in her first two seasons, and then struggled for opportunity last year competing with senior jockeys for rides. A short break from racing last year recharged Edgley to get back in the saddle. 'The industry is very challenging sometimes, opportunities were drying up, I felt as though I wasn't in the best head space to be riding in races,' Edgley said. 'If you don't feel like you're performing as well as what you can it's a downward spiral, I felt I couldn't really get out of that. 'After a few months off I was able to enjoy it again … realised if I wanted to make the most of (metro claim) I needed to make a move … to ride better horses in better races. 'If I could make the most of these opportunities then hopefully that leads to a nice winter.'
