The Lindsay Park training partnership of Ben, Will and JD Hayes is more than happy with the decision to move this year’s $10 million Golden Eagle (1500m) from Rosehill to Randwick.
Traditionally staged at Rosehill since its launch in 2019, the race has shifted venues for this year, a change the stable believes will suit their contender Evaporate.
Evaporate heads to Saturday’s feature looking to turn the tables following his narrow defeat in the Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield on October 18.
Ben Hayes said that having a testing mile run under his belt was ideal ahead of the slight drop back in trip for this weekend’s assignment.
Evaporate has contested all three of his spring runs in Melbourne, beginning with an unlucky fifth in the P B Lawrence Stakes (1400m) before a minor foot issue briefly interrupted his campaign. He returned to score in the Sandown Stakes (1500m) before narrowly missing in the Toorak.
“He ran enormous in the Toorak,” Hayes said.
“We just got beaten by Transatlantic who franked the form by coming out and winning in Sydney last week.
“On the day, Transatlantic got an easy lead, and we were the only horse that came out of the pack to challenge him.
“We slightly peaked on our run, but I think now that we’ve had those last couple of runs under the belt, he’s definitely good enough to win a race like the Golden Eagle.”
The change of venue from Rosehill to Randwick is another positive, according to Hayes.
Evaporate has performed well at Randwick in the past, including his Carbine Club success there earlier in the year.
“He won the Carbine Club up in Sydney earlier this year, so moving the race there, where he’s run well before, might be an advantage for us,” Hayes said.
“Being on his Sydney leg might be a good thing for him. He relaxes better on that Sydney leg.”
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