Equine talent abounded at Randwick’s barrier trials on Friday but there was no star bigger than comeback sprinter Hay List.
The powerhouse gelding reminded the racing public of his talent with a four-length victory over 1000m in his first appearance since he was struck down with a life-threatening leg infection last winter.
“He’s a super horse,” jockey Glyn Schofield said after the trial.
“He’s just a gentle giant. He’s come back fantastic from his injury-enforced spell which was longer than any of us wanted.
“But he’s back now and he’s feeling good. He did it without much fuss this morning and he’s right on track.”
Hay List was one of 11 Group One winners to trial at Randwick and trainer John McNair said he was confident the horse was on target for the Lightning Stakes (1000m) on February 18.
“I was very happy with his trial and Glyn was happy which is the most important part,” McNair said.
“He’s a lot more relaxed this time in. Even out of the barriers he just jumped and was happy to do whatever Glyn wanted him to do and I suspect that’s probably because he’s free of pain in his front feet.
“We’ve still got a few little niggly issues with his back feet but I’m expecting and hoping in the next 14 days they’ll come right.”
McNair plans to trial Hay List again before the Lightning where one of his rivals is expected to be three-year-old colt Foxwedge who also caught the eye with a fast-finishing trial win over 850m.
Ridden by Nash Rawiller, the Group winner and Group One placegetter closed late to defeat Salade by a head with a short neck to Sandhurst in third.
Guy Walter took his two Group One-winning three-year-olds Streama and Doctor Doom over from Warwick Farm, with both having quiet hitouts in separate 850m heats.
“They both had easy trials but I’m very happy with them,” Walter said.
The pair will trial again before resuming in the Light Fingers Stakes and Royal Sovereign Stakes respectively on February 18.
McNair is hoping Hay List is in for the best preparation of his career which is expected to include feature sprints in Melbourne, Sydney, Singapore and England.
“I’m hoping, but you won’t really predict anything until he steps out in his first race appearance,” McNair said.
“Trials are only that. He’s got a long preparation this time so we’ve got to be mindful of that all the way through.”
McNair will also work on continuing to trim the sprinter’s weight in the coming weeks, but that’s not a concern.
“We don’t want him in the biggest loser, we just want to be the biggest winner,” McNair said.
