The middle of winter is not typically a launching pad for Coolmore Stud Stakes success, but the Lindsay Park training team is hoping it will be for Hard Kick.
The untapped gelding is on the verge of beginning a campaign that is being aimed towards the coveted $2 million Group 1 sprint for three-year-olds at Flemington on October 31.
A comfortable winner of an 800-metre Werribee jumpout last Friday, following a soft second placing in a Flemington jumpout two weeks earlier, the son of All Too Hard has co-trainer Will Hayes excited about getting him back to the races.
Hard Kick, a brilliant winner of the Listed Talindert Stakes (1100m) on February 14 at his only start to date, will bring class to Flemington’s final meeting of the season.
“We’re going to look at a 1000-metre option for two-year-olds down the straight on the 18th of July,” Hayes, who trains in partnership with brothers Ben and JD, said.
“We’re very happy and glad that we erred on the side of caution by not exposing him to the back-up into the (Blue) Diamond, because it’s been the best thing for him going forward.
“I can’t fault him in the way he’s built up, he looks a better version of himself and I think his trial spoke for itself.
“His trial suggests that he’s right where we need him to be.”
Hard Kick is currently positioned at $8 on the third line of futures markets for the Coolmore Stud Stakes, trailing only Golden Slipper winner Guest House ($5) and the unexposed Ciaron Maher-trained colt The Next Episode ($6).
“It will be the traditional three-year-old path on the way towards a race like the Coolmore,” Hayes commented.
“We do think he’s a horse that possesses incredible natural speed and we’re going to play to his strengths.”
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