The powerhouse Lindsay Park operation will aim for a remarkable fourth consecutive triumph in the P B Lawrence Stakes when they saddle up Here To Shock and Evaporate at Caulfield.
The stable has owned the Group 2 event in recent years, with Mr Brightside saluting in back-to-back editions before Gentleman Roy added to the tally last year.
This season, Ben, Will and J D Hayes will rely on Here To Shock and Evaporate, both resuming after strong jump-out performances.
Evaporate, now a four-year-old, was a standout against elite three-year-old company last season, placing in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas, contesting the Group 1 Cox Plate against older horses, and travelling across New Zealand and Sydney to land the Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes at Randwick.
“His trials have been excellent, he’s come through his trials really well and he’s a horse I think that is going to be in for a very good campaign,” Ben Hayes said.
Hayes highlighted Evaporate’s experience at weight-for-age level as a major advantage, noting that he “has already made that step up and I think he will be able to do it again.”
Here To Shock also resumes in good order, having finished second at Group 1 level in March and enjoying a consistent 2023/24 campaign that included $2 million in prizemoney.
“We could not be happier with the way he is going,” Hayes said. “He was trialling against some very smart sprinters … and showed he is right on track.”
The 11-horse field sees Here To Shock drawn the outside for Daniel Stackhouse, while Evaporate has barrier 3 with Blake Shinn. Other notable runners include Sydney’s Private Eye in barrier 8, Pinstriped in nine, and Desert Lightning in gate one.
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