A valuable lesson has been learned by the Lindsay Park team regarding their classy gelding, War Machine, concerning his scheduled first-up run this preparation. Nevertheless, the Hayes brothers are expressing considerable excitement about his prospects in this Saturday’s CF Orr Stakes at Sandown.
This prestigious $1 million Group 1 race is set to be the fourth outing of a campaign that was originally intended to commence in the Aurie’s Star Handicap on August 1. However, War Machine was a late scratching after an incident where he broke through the barriers.
Further complications arose when War Machine was also withdrawn from The Damien Oliver (1400m) at Flemington on Derby Day, attributed to drawing a wide barrier. JD Hayes indicated that while the spring campaign has not progressed as the Hayes brothers had planned, they are delighted with the gelding’s current physical state.
“He’s just had an awful amount of bad luck – the amount of scratching fees he’s incurred due to bad tracks or bad barriers has been immense,” Hayes, who trains War Machine in partnership with brothers Ben and Will, stated.
“The ownership group has been patient, but we’re just waiting for the right set up for him and hopefully we get that on Saturday. He’s raced himself back into form and he looks tremendous.”
War Machine’s most recent start resulted in a victory in the Group 3 Moonga Stakes. Prior to that, he finished 14th in the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes. These have been his only two races at the 1400m distance since his career-defining win in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap in June of last year.
The son of Harry Angel boasts an impressive record of five wins from seven starts at the 1400m trip. While his sole previous attempt at Sandown was unsuccessful, it was only his second race appearance, occurring in August 2023. Hayes anticipates that the gelding will perform well on the spacious Hillside circuit.
“Just getting him to the right distance has been the key,” Hayes remarked.
“He was terrific first-up at Caulfield and had no luck in the Rupert Clarke (Stakes), so he hasn’t done too much wrong. I love Sandown and I think he’ll love it too.”
Mark Zahra, the jockey who partnered War Machine to his Moonga Stakes win, will retain the ride for the Orr Stakes. War Machine is currently available at $23 in the betting markets, which are headed by the three-time Group 1 champion Beiwacht at $3.10.
War Machine’s campaign has been plagued by misfortune, but he now gets his chance to shine in the CF Orr Stakes. For those interested in betting on the race, explore the available racing betting markets with trusted providers.
