The Lindsay Park-trained Evaporate remains without a Group 1 win to date, but his handlers are convinced that top-tier glory awaits the four-year-old soon.
Ben, Will and J D Hayes have the galloper primed for an autumn opener in Saturday’s Group 1 Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.
Evaporate is a more seasoned athlete this preparation, as per Ben Hayes, setting him up nicely for what lies ahead.
He boasts five prior Group 1 runs, achieving podium finishes thrice: third in the Caulfield Guineas, second place in the Toorak Handicap, and third most recently in the C F Orr Stakes behind Jimmysstar.
In his younger days as a three-year-old, Lindsay Park entered him in the Cox Plate, where Via Sistina beat him comprehensively, and he ran fourth behind Mr Brightside in last year’s Futurity Stakes before heading overseas to New Zealand.
Following the Orr placing, Evaporate took a quick spell before the customary Lindsay Park two jump-outs leading into Saturday.
“I think he’s trialled up very well this time around,” Hayes said.
“What we really like is he seems a lot more relaxed and has shown us a really good turn of foot in both his jump-outs and his work at home.
He’s a horse that has always shown us above average ability and it’s a race he can run very well in.
“He has already shown that he is capable at weight-for-age before and he’s a more hardened horse now.”
Co-trainer Hayes sees Evaporate tougher now, but Treasurethe Moment represents a tough hurdle on Saturday.
She resumed victorious in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes last spring, at Caulfield over 1400m, upsetting Mr Brightside.
“It would be nice to get that Group 1 on his CV,” Hayes said of Evaporate.
“He’s a Group 1 horse, but we’re going to run into a horse like Treasurethe Moment who was amazing last spring campaign.
“But I think we’ve improved, which we have to, to beat her.”
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