Hay List holds key to sprint placings
Sydney Morning Herald
Friday March 11, 2011
SHOULD Hay List get aggressive early with Black Caviar, the tactic will play a major role in Saturday's Newmarket at Flemington.Even with a 3.5-kilo turnaround on their last-start clash in the Lightning Stakes over 1000 metres down the straight course, weights-and-measures still favour the red-hot favourite, rated the best sprinter in the world.Champions such as Vain, Tulloch and Kingston Town, at the top of their prowess, were beaten but Black Caviar seems to have her rivals covered.Ridden pretty Hay List, sitting off and joining in at the right time, wasn't effective against Black Caviar in the Lightning. Serve-up tactics, where he goes to the front and attempts to make her work early, could be attempted. Certainly this would make it a better race, but possibly not for those who support Hay List in the quinella or exacta because it could set up a backmarker over the latter stages.Which could well be the three-year-old, Hinchinbrook, a stablemate of Black Caviar trained by Peter Moody. Having his first start for Moody, Hinchinbrook was a gallant third to Eagle Falls in the Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield on February 26. Hinchinbrook was slow to begin, hunted up in very fast early sections but hit the line strongly to go down by just over 1 lengths.With only 50kg at a time of the season when three-year-olds are blooming, Hinchinbrook appeals as a top first-three prospect. So, too, the mare Beaded, which has acted well in group 1 company: note a half-length Stradbroke fourth at Eagle Farm from the 17 gate, which was her only unplaced effort from 17 attempts.Sure, handled as he was in the Lightning Stakes, Hay List is the obvious runner-up but it is doubtful whether connections will go into the event soft, looking for place money.Black Caviar on top from Hinchinbrook, Beaded and Hay List. Stand out Black Caviar in the trifecta with Hinchinbrook and Beaded.
© 2011 Sydney Morning Herald
