HAY LIST – STANDING TALL

Having pushed Black Caviar (Bel Esprit) all the way to chase him down in the TJ Smith-G1 last time out, Hay List (Statue of Liberty) gained handsome compensation with a dominant victory in the $500,000 All-Aged Stakes-G1 yesterday … his second win at the highest level.
With Glen Boss in the saddle following Glyn Schofield being injured when falling from Tinseltown (Pentire) in the Sydney Cup, Hay List stepped straight to the front and that was the last time his rivals saw anything other than his rump.
Clear into the straight Hay List quickened further clear and at the line had three and a quarter lengths to spare over Hinchinbrook, who ran on well widest of all, with Heart Of Dreams a half-head away in third.
”I’d love to have seen what he would have done on a dry track, I know it is probably a silly comment after seeing what he just did but both Glyn and I knew how well we had the horse going and he had improved markedly from last start and I think he proved that today,” trainer John McNair said.
”He has just been an unlucky horse, but he got the result today and that is all that matters.
”I knew Ray Murrihy wouldn’t let us go on if the track wasn’t safe, all I did was go out and walk it, see where the best going might be and I conveyed that to Glen and he knew in any case and the rest is history.
”You have to remember he struggled at Warwick Farm only a month ago, he improved going into the TJ [Smith] then I think he has improved again from then to today. That being the case if we had of been meeting Black Caviar after another run under our belt things might have been different but the difficult thing is now that every time we meet her we will be giving her two kilos.”
McNair intimated that the Goodwood Handicap-G1 at Morphettville next month is the plan for Hay List: “If transport can be arranged that will be on the agenda, he is a great horse with a high international rating but oddly enough this is his only his second Group One win so it would be nice to get a few more of those next to his name because he deserves them,” McNair added.
”It’s very bitter-sweet,” an emotional Boss said. “That was just a sit and steer job for me but obviously I am thinking about Schoey because this is his horse and I was just privileged to loan him for 10 minutes.

”Hay List just oozes so much power and talent, it is incredible. He just gave me a super start, he relaxed out in front, at the top of the rise I thought he was just going to be too good.
”It just goes to show just how good Black Caviar is, she spanks him every time they go around and he is a superstar … he felt like as good a sprinter as I have ridden.”

This is the 14th win from 19 starts for Hay List who has earned $1,656,325.

Photos by Bronwen Healy Photography