Latest news with #ShiningSmile
Courier-Mail
4 hours ago
- Sport
- Courier-Mail
Hayes brothers aim to challenge Ciaron Maher for metro title after winning Victorian premiership
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. Lindsay Park has sights on challenging Ciaron Maher in the Melbourne training premiership. Brothers Ben, JD and Will Hayes claimed the state title last season, with 240 Victorian winners. Lindsay Park saddled 253½ winners Australia-wide – up from 199 the previous season. Co-trainer Ben Hayes credited the success to the Lindsay Park collective – staff, owners and horses. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! 'Since being in partnership – JD and I, and then Will, JD and I – every year we have had really nice improvement and last year, we were very annoyed we didn't get 200,' Hayes said. 'It's a great effort by the whole team behind us, who are working really hard. 'We get really good support from our owners and we've got a great team (horses) behind us now.' Evaporate and Shining Smile produced five wins apiece for Lindsay Park last season, while five other horses including Dublin Journal, Marble Arch, Rise At Dawn saluted on four occasions. Mr Brightside and inherited War Machine, previously trained by late Michael Moroney, combined for six wins, three at the highest level and about $6m prizemoney. • Bedggood set for another drought-breaking win at Flemington Despite the overall Victorian success, Lindsay Park trailed the powerhouse Maher yard 113 winners to 69 in the metropolitan trainers' premiership but saddled 300 fewer starters in Melbourne. 'Will, JD and I are just proud (of the results) and hopefully, we've got a big task ahead of us next year to try and beat what we've set this year,' Hayes said. 'It's definitely been our best year to date … to be leading Victorian trainer for all wins is a good effort, hopefully, we'll be a little bit more competitive next year with metro, that's our aim.' Trainers Will, Ben and JD Hayes, with Mr Brightside and strapper Will Evans, claimed the Victorian premiership with 240 winners. Picture: Michael Klein Lindsay Park improved its metropolitan output 66 to 69 year-on-year. 'We trained a couple more metro winners this year, I think we've got the quality to improve again,' Hayes said. 'Ciaron has been dominant for years now, it would be good to hopefully make it a bit more even but we'll be trying our best and being as competitive as we can be.' Hayes could make an impression on Saturday at Flemington with six starters, including Aztec State. 'He didn't win the other day but it was a huge run,' Hayes said. 'He's building nicely and could pop up.' • 'We were the common enemy': How Morrison united Victorian racing Lindsay Park has the firepower to compete anywhere, anytime this season with Mr Brightside, War Machine, Evaporate and Rise At Dawn primed for spring campaigns. Shining Smile, Scenic Point, Tycoon Star spearhead generation next. Aztec State is one of six runners for Lindsay Park at Flemington on Saturday. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images Hayes said Lindsay Park Euroa, Flemington and Pakenham stables were 'probably at capacity now', with horses inherited from late Melbourne Cup-winner Moroney and Godolphin more recently. 'There's been a big influx of horses and also had good support from our two-year-olds,' Hayes said. 'There's lots of exciting unraced ones too, which is great … full steam ahead. 'We have got to work harder than ever to try and win that metro premiership.' • Shinn holds off Williams for Melbourne jockeys' title Mr Brightside is slated to trial on Monday. 'He's building up well, he looks great,' Hayes said. 'We cannot fault him.' Stradbroke Handicap-winner War Machine is being aimed at the Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) next month in a bid to boost potential The Everest stocks. Originally published as Lindsay Park trainers Ben, Will and JD Hayes target metro title after claiming Victorian premiership
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.'
