The Lindsay Park stable is looking to the long term with their impressive juvenile Hard Kick, who is set to resume racing at Flemington.
Having tasted success on debut in the Listed Talindert Stakes (1100m) at Flemington in February, Hard Kick will now contest the TAB We’re On (1000m) at Flemington this Saturday.
Lindsay Park trainers Ben, Will, and J D Hayes, in conjunction with their father David Hayes, the principal owner of Hard Kick, made the decision not to run the two-year-old in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) just a week after his strong Flemington performance.
The runner-up in that race, Zambales, went on to finish fourth in the Blue Diamond and later claimed second place in the VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) before embarking on a campaign in Sydney.
Will Hayes explained that while bypassing the Blue Diamond was a difficult choice at the time, the team is encouraged by Hard Kick’s development during his spell from racing.
“He’s like an 18-year-old growing into a 20-year-old’s body,” Hayes explained.
“He has naturally gained strength and developed, and he is now ready for his three-year-old season. We weren’t entirely comfortable with the quick backup for a two-year-old, and consequently, he has emerged as a fantastic prospect, which was the ultimate goal.”
“It was a team decision, and it simplifies matters when David Hayes himself is the principal owner. It was a very internal discussion, and we adhered to our processes, benefiting from the excellent guidance of Dr. David McKellar, a superb vet at Lindsay Park.”
This 1000m race, a relatively new addition to the Flemington racing calendar, has previously been won by horses such as Giga Kick (2022), First Settler (2024), and Shining Smile last year.
Giga Kick subsequently won The Everest in Sydney after two more wins, while First Settler finished second in the Poseidon Stakes down the Flemington straight before winning the Danehill Stakes.
Hayes mentioned that Cruiserweight’s recent win at Caulfield last Saturday has instilled further confidence in the team ahead of Hard Kick’s return, particularly after the colt achieved a jump-out victory over Cruiserweight at Werribee on July 3.
He stated that the objective for Saturday’s race was to provide Hard Kick with a competitive outing before the commencement of the early season three-year-old races.
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 two weeks later, are the likely next assignments 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 concluded.
“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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