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Hayes to gallop stars at Sandown

Tuesday 9 February 2010
By Mark Ryan

David Hayes will gallop imports Changingoftheguard and Our Aqaleem as well as sprinter Eagle Falls before the first race at Sandown on Wednesday.

Australian Cup hopes Changingoftheguard (Glen Boss) and Our Aqaleem (Steven Arnold) will gallop together over 1600m, while Oakleigh Plate and Newmarket Handicap prospect Eagle Falls (Damien Oliver) will gallop solo over 1000m about 200-300 metres behind that pair.

Hayes intends to give Changingoftheguard his first Australian start in the Group Two St George Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield on Saturday week.

Changingoftheguard was controversially scratched from the 2009 Melbourne Cup on the morning of the race when veterinary stewards ruled that he was lame.

Our Aqaleem, who won at his first start for Hayes over 1600m at Flemington on January 30, will go straight into the Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington on March 6 without another run.

"I wasn't going to bring Changingoftheguard up this autumn as he looked so light but he dropped his coat and he's put on 45kg," Hayes said.

"He looks magnificent the horse."

Meanwhile, Warrnambool trainer Symon Wilde says freshness is the key to in-form four-year-old Watto's Racer's prospects in the Murray Handicap at Sandown.

Wilde, who trains in partnership with his father Bill, scratched Watto's Racer from the 1300m race won by Confidence Reef at Sandown last Wednesday to give him two-and-half weeks between runs.

The Racer's Edge gelding is out to complete a hat-trick of 1400m wins after scoring narrowly from Light Tan in a 0-86 Hcp on his home track and then taking out a 0-72 Hcp from Forty Days at Ballarat, both last month.

"He's been really good fresh so we just decided to give him the extra week as we thought it would be beneficial to him," Wilde said.

"He won against his normal pattern at Ballarat when there was no pace on and he had to go forward.

"Normally he likes to get back and enjoys a bit of pace on.

"He's a lovely big, strong type."

Dean Yendall, who won on Watto's Racer last start, retains the mount on the horse who has drawn barrier eight of the nine runners.

Watto's Racer was originally trained at Warrnambool by Patrick Ryan and won one of his first four starts.

But when Ryan relocated to Queensland the horse was transferred to the Wildes who have won three races from seven starts with him.

Private Jeune, prepared at Wangaratta by Allan Fitzgerald, is $3.80 favourite with TAB Sportsbet ahead of Watto's Racer ($4.60) and Adams Bell ($4.80) with Yaqubi next at $5.