In today's instalment of 2022/2023 Rapid Reflections, we feature a quickfire round with JD Hayes of Lindsay Park Racing.
TDN AusNZ: Favourite racing moment of 2022?
JD Hayes: Mr Brightside winning the G1 Doncaster H.
TDN AusNZ: And favourite non-racing moment?
JDH: Nephew stopped teething.
Mr Brightside (NZ) winning the G1 Doncaster H. at Randwick | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
TDN AusNZ: What are you most looking forward to in 2023?
JDH: We have had some very impressive 2-year-old performances from the stable so far this season and we are really looking forward to seeing how they go in the big 2-year-old events of the autumn carnival like the Blue Diamond and its lead-up races. Australian racing is centred heavily on 2-year-olds and we have managed to have four pre-Christmas 2-year-old winners already, which shows our system is working nicely and it would be so exciting to be competitive in these iconic Victorian races.
TDN AusNZ: Whose progeny have impressed you so far on your Magic Millions inspections?
JDH: I really liked the I Am Invincibles with their powerful, athletic appearance and the Snitzels with their deep girths and neat, racy conformation. We found some nice Fastnet Rock fillies as well which we do have an affinity for having trained the likes of Catchy.
From the unproven first-crop stallions I would have to say I think the Zousain yearlings were quite impressive with their substance and athleticism.
JD and Ben Hayes | Image courtesy of Darren Tindale
TDN AusNZ: If you could be someone else in the industry for a day who would it be, and why?
JDH: Ben Hayes because he gets to work with me.
TDN AusNZ: Who is your favourite racehorse of 2022?
JDH: Extreme Step – she is a filly that has won three races this prep for Victor Lit Lung Lee who is a good supporter of the stable.
TDN AusNZ: Who is the most underrated stallion in Australasia?
JDH: It’s hard to go past our very own boy Nicconi. He has been at stud since 2010 and has managed to maintain an incredible winners to runners rate of over 70 per cent which when compared to all the other stallions out there is very high, yet he stands for a modest stud fee ($22,000 inc GST) compared to others and he can get you a superstar racehorse like Nature Strip!
Nicconi | Standing at Widden Victoria
TDN AusNZ: Who do you think will take out 2023 first-season sire honours?
JDH: This title is still very open, we obviously like our colt Arkansaw Kid by Harry Angel and he has got his sire at the top of the rankings but there seems to be some nice runners for Trapeze Artist and Written By coming through as well and I wouldn’t write off Brave Smash either. I think it will be a close battle for this title and there might even be some late-season 2-year-olds for The Autumn Sun that bring him into the mix.
TDN AusNZ: What was your best purchase in 2022?
JDH: We probably have two candidates for this title at the moment as we have been able to produce two stakes-winning 2-year-old colts so far this season. Arkansaw Kid (Harry Angel) was a $190,000 purchase from the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale and we put together an all womens' group of owners to qualify for the Inglis Pink Bonus. We took him to Moonee Valley on Cox Plate Day for the R. Listed Inglis Banner 2-year-old race which was part of the pink series and he was the only horse in the race qualified to earn the $200,000 bonus no matter where he finished. He went on to win the race and claim the $300,000 winner's cheque plus the extra $200,000 bonus.
Our other 2-year-old that has won a stakes race already this season is Little Brose (Per Incanto) who was a $200,000 purchase from the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and has had two runs for a second in the G3 Maribyrnong Plate and then he won the Listed Merson Cooper.
Little Brose, winner of the Listed Merson Cooper | Image courtesy of Darren Tindale
TDN AusNZ: Favourite binge-worthy television show?
JDH: Peaky Blinders.
TDN AusNZ: What's the best book you read in 2022?
JDH: More of an audio book fan.
TDN AusNZ: What do you consider the greatest sporting moment of 2022? (Not solely racing related).
JDH: Argentina in the World Cup.
TDN AusNZ: What has been your favourite post-COVID trip?
JDH: Going to Ireland to pick up Camorra – Ger Lyons and the team were very welcoming, and it was only made possible by Jarred Magnabosco from Best Bloodstock for giving us the opportunity to train him.
TDN AusNZ: What's your 2023 New Year's resolution?
JDH: Lose 5kg. Now the twin brother, Will, is onboard I don’t want to be known as the fat twin.
