Lindsay Park is preparing a strong three-horse contingent for Saturday’s Aurie’s Star Handicap at Flemington. A key feature will be the return of champion jockey Blake Shinn aboard War Machine, marking his first race since a significant fall on Melbourne Cup Day.

Also returning from a winter break is Mark Zahra, who will ride Arkansaw Kid after his recent Royal Ascot campaign. Jye McNeil completes the stable’s representation on Ndola, a horse that recently tasted victory.

The training team at Lindsay Park is aiming to replicate their 2019 success in the Aurie’s Star Handicap, when So Si Bon claimed the Group 3 sprint under David Hayes, Ben Hayes, and Tom Dabernig.

Ben Hayes indicated that jockey Blake Shinn selected War Machine after riding both stablemates in jump-outs at Flemington last Friday. “He rode them both in jump-outs last Friday and I don’t think there’s much between them,” Hayes stated. “He knows War Machine well and he’s going back to his old buddy.”

War Machine has not competed since finishing third in the Newmarket Handicap over the Flemington straight in March. Hayes noted that the gelding has benefited from a longer spell after a demanding preparation that began in April last year.

“He lost his way a bit last preparation,” Hayes commented. “He had a long prep. He went to Queensland, freshened, came back, went to The Everest, came back, but just didn’t come up in the autumn. He had a long break, and he seems to have come back really well. His work at home has been great and seems a happier horse. He’s enjoying his trackwork, so hopefully that converts to some good runs.”

Arkansaw Kid has experienced a different preparation, spending time at Lindsay Park’s Euroa base and Pakenham before recent jump-outs at Traralgon and Flemington. “We changed things around with him to keep him thinking,” Hayes explained. “He’s been in work a long time, so it was like changing stables, without changing stables. I thought his Traralgon jump-out was good, his jump-out on Friday was great and he’s always been a consistent, good horse for the stable and is a horse we all love. He’s good down the straight, he’s won a couple of Bobbie Lewis Qualities, so he knows what he’s doing.”

Ndola enters Saturday’s feature race following a win in the Listed Santa Ana Lane Series Final first-up on July 4, and subsequently defeated War Machine in a jump-out last week. Hayes mentioned the trial was designed to maintain the gelding’s fitness during the four-week break between races.

“He was good fresh when he got away with murder in front and they couldn’t catch him,” Hayes said. “It’s a step up in class and he’s running against some very good horses, but he deserves to be there.”

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