The Lindsay Park team is focusing on the long-term prospects of their promising juvenile, Hard Kick, as the colt prepares to race again at Flemington.
After a successful debut in the Listed Talindert Stakes (1100m) at Flemington in February, Hard Kick is scheduled to compete in the TAB We’re On (1000m) at Flemington on Saturday.
Lindsay Park trainers Ben, Will, and J D Hayes, in consultation with their father David Hayes, the principal owner of Hard Kick, elected not to run the two-year-old in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) the week following his impressive Flemington victory.
The horse that finished second, Zambales, went on to finish fourth in the Blue Diamond Stakes and later secured second place in the VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) before commencing a campaign in Sydney.
Will Hayes commented that the decision to bypass the Blue Diamond was challenging at the time, but the team is pleased with Hard Kick’s development during his time away from the racetrack.
“He’s like an 18-year-old growing into a 20-year-old’s body,” Hayes remarked.
“He has naturally strengthened and developed, and he is now ready for his three-year-old season. We weren’t entirely confident about the quick backup for a two-year-old, and as a result, he has become a terrific product, which was the main objective.”
“It was a team decision, and it certainly helps when the 100 percent owner is David Hayes himself. It was very much an internal discussion, and we followed our processes, receiving excellent guidance from Dr. David McKellar, who is an incredible vet at Lindsay Park.”
This relatively new 1000m race on the Flemington calendar has previously been won by horses such as Giga Kick (2022), First Settler (2024), and Shining Smile last year.
Giga Kick later went on to win The Everest in Sydney after two more wins, while First Settler finished second in the Poseidon Stakes down the Flemington straight, later winning the Danehill Stakes.
Hayes mentioned that Cruiserweight’s win at Caulfield last Saturday provides the team with added confidence heading into Hard Kick’s return, given that the colt achieved a jump-out victory over Cruiserweight at Werribee on July 3.
He stated that the plan for Saturday’s race was to give Hard Kick a run under his belt before the early season three-year-old races begin.
Hayes indicated that the Group 3 Vain Stakes (1100m) on August 15 and the Group 3 H D F McNeil Stakes (1200m), both at Caulfield and scheduled for two weeks later, are the likely next steps for Hard Kick.
“We’re going to have a run under our belt, which was our intention, as he did have a nice, long break,” Hayes said.
“The Vain, the McNeil, will all be races considered going forward, but we think he’s come up super and his trial form has been franked by Cruiserweight coming out and winning dominantly.”
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