EF JUNE 26 - HAY LIST - BIG WIN, BIG IMPRESSION

By Graham Potter and Matthew Grimson | Monday, June 28, 2010

Eagle Farm, June 26, 2010.
W.J. Healy Stakes (Group 3 - Quality) - 1200m.
Time: 1-08.69. (Carrying 53kg). New Race Record.
Track - Good 3. Rail - out 5.5m.
1 Hay List; 2 Pinwheel; 3 Ego’s Dare.

The John McNair trained Hay List hit the big time at Eagle Farm on Saturday when he scored his first Group race success in scintillating fashion as he lined his opposition by a decisive five length margin.

The quality of the performance was further put in perspective by the fact that jockey Chris Munce had, to use his own words, 'throttled back' on Hay List when he looked at the infield screen and saw that the gelding had his race well and truly won, yet the four-year-old still finished with daylight between himself and the best of the opposition while stopping the clock in a new race record time of 1-08.69, eclipsing the previous record of Quality Kingdom (1-08.8) which had stood for nearly twelve years.

Top jockeys, who have seen it all, are seldom prone to exaggeration so when they give full praise to a runner it can pay to listen. Such was the adrenalin kick that Chris Munce got from this ride that he could hardly contain his enthusiasm for Hay List’s performance. Munce and McNair both agreed that the gelding was 'something special.'

Hay List was racing third up in his first campaign for McNair, who took over the care of the former Western Australian runner from trainer Jim Taylor.

Taylor had achieved almost a perfect record during his time with the gelding which stretched for exactly ten months over two preparations from January 14, 2009 to November 14, 2009.

Hay List was unbeaten in the three starts (all at Ascot) that comprised his first preparation and he continued to extend his winning sequence in run after run after resuming, so that after eight starts he could still boast an unbeaten record over distances ranging from 1000m to 1400m. All of the five wins in his second preparation came at Belmont. Jockey Jason Brown was the rider in all eight victories.

Hay List lost his unbeaten record when going down by 1.80 lengths to Revolution in his first sortie into Group company on November 14. The race was the Colonel Reeves Stakes, a Group 3 event. Hay List pulled up lame after the race, which was to be his last in Western Australia before transferring to the stable of McNair, who is based at Gosford.

Seven months after that defeat at Ascot, Hay List made his East Cast debut in the Listed June Stakes at Randwick where he finished a creditable second behind Love Conquers All.

Then it was to be on to the Takeover Target feature on his new home turf at Gosford, but McNair ultimately decided to dodge that race in favour of the W.J.Healy Stakes at Eagle Farm.

The rest, as they say is history.

Jockey Chris Munce chased Hay List from his wide barrier and the gelding had the gate speed to beat out Tour Guide in the early chase for the lead. Once in front, Munce was happy to let the field back-up behind him in the sweep to the turn, conning his rivals into believing that they had a chance with the gelding as they lined up to have a shot at the front-runner approaching the bend.

It was only when the closest of his rivals fanned out behind him preparing to launch their challenges that Munce clicked Hay List up a gear. The response was electrifying as Hay List galloped right away from his opposition in the straight, leaving them battered and blue as they were left floundering in his wake.

Pinwheel, who brushed past Tour Guide on the turn and steadfastly chased Hay List, in spite of losing ground, the whole length of the straight finished a distant second to the runaway winner, a short-half-head in front of the third placed Ego’s Dare.

It was a big win.

WINNER FEEDBACK
Trainer John McNair: “Pretty exciting. I did say to (owners) Liz and Terry (Davenport) not long before the race I think probably January, February next year I may only be training one horse to a degree. I think this horse is pretty special. When I say that, I will still be training the others, but I will be hands on with this guy twenty-four/seven.

“No instructions. We said to Chris (Munce), listen you know this track. You know the field. You’ve seen these other horses race. There’s no point in me telling you what to do. You will decide after they've gone fifty yards whether he’s going to get to the lead easy and, if that is the case, you ride your own race.

“The horse looked to be travelling very comfortably coming around the home turn. He’s got amazing acceleration this horse. That’s his real feature. Plus he has a high cruising speed. You know, you combine those two things and he is going to give these people a very exciting ride for a while.

“This race was worth more money than the Takeover Target Stakes at Gosford. We did consider that race but, to be honest, I thought that this race was a little bit easier. When I say easier, I thought the quality in the Takeover Target field was the best I’ve seen since I had been in New South Wales.

"The winner (Border Rebel) has won I think seven from eight and just got beaten here (at Eagle Farm) by Catapulted in slightly unfortunate circumstances, so you couldn’t fault it.

“He’s going to have two or three weeks off now. We are going to try and get his feet one hundred percent right. His feet have just got terribly thin soles and walls. The previous trainer had had a lot of trouble with him and had been fighting a losing battle and I was lucky enough that when the horse came to me the owners gave me the time I needed to be able to get things to improve.

"As you know with feet, you can’t make them grow any quicker and that is what needed to happen. He needed to grow a fair bit of heel. I am very fortunate that I have an extremely good farrier and that was probably an important part of this horse winning today.

“No he doesn’t have any special plates. I actually wanted to put what we call cushion-foot shoes on him today and the farrier talked me out of it. He basically said, listen, his feet are good, I think we should leave him alone. It was his call and it seemed to be the right call.

“I’ve got about 25 horses. But there are no others like this. Without a doubt he is the best horse I have ever had. I won a Group 1 in Perth with a horse that became the first starter I ever had in Queensland. She came here and ran third in the Lightning and Chris Munce actually rode her that day.

"The Lightning was my first run on the eastern seaboard. That's when I first met Chris, so there is bit of deja vu."

"He will probably have his next start either in the Missile or in Melbourne. The first priority is to protect the horse by looking after his feet."

Jockey Chris Munce: “Unbelievable. It has been a long time since I have ridden a sprinter such as him.

"He puts himself in a winning position. He drops the bit. He relaxes. He gets to the 600, 500, 400, wherever you want to go, give him a clip and he just takes off. He’s unbelievable.

“I probably hit the 'go' button just on the point of the corner. I could sort of sense a few of them just starting to niggle their horses along and, you know, I didn't want to be left flat-footed on the corner. I sort of wanted him in his gallop as we turned for home.

"As it turned out, I didn't have anything to worry about because he just sort of went himself. He is some animal.

"It wasn't until I got past the big screen there, I had a quick glance across and I could see I was well in front. I sort of throttled back a little bit on him then, but there is no doubt, if I wanted to, he probably could have won by six or seven (lengths).

"I'll have to say he is probably up there with the best sprinters I have ever ridden. Ah mate, I tell you. Compared to the likes of Dance Hero, he still has to get there and prove himself but, you know, as far as horses with potential, he is as good as them ... potentially.

"He still has to get there and get the Group 1 wins on the board but at the moment, mate, he is just doing everything right. He is the real deal.

"I mean he is just such a laid-back character. I just gave him a bit of a squeeze and pushed him forward to get across. He just throttled back ... pricked his ears ... he was just loving it.

"When I let him go I did expect him to let down well, but, I tell you what, I didn't expect him to do what he did. He was flying.

“I’ll go anywhere to ride him. I want to be on him.”

*At this stage Munce will have to be happy with the role of back-up rider for Hay List. McNair has confirmed that jockey Glynn Schofield will ride the horse in his next start.

Schofield rode Hay List in his previous run at Randwick and was due to ride him if he McNair had accepted for the Takeover target Stakes at Gosford. When McNair changed plans and opted for Eagle Farm, Schofield was already committed to a book of rides in Sydney which is how Munce picked up the ride.

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Hay List): 2.60 out to 3.00.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Funtantes (L. Cassidy) was slow to begin. Mr Slick (B. El-Issa) jumped away awkwardly and shifted out at the start.

In the early stages Daunting Lad (S. Seamer) over-raced at the heels of Bold Glance (J. Holder) and had to be steadied on several occasions approaching the first turn. The Jackal (R. Thompson), which was trailing Daunting Lad, also over-raced in the early stages and had to be steadied on several occasions from the heels of Daunting Lad.

First Command raced three wide without cover throughout the event. Ego’s Dare (C. Brown) and Funtantes (L. Cassidy) raced wide throughout the event. Mr Slick raced extremely wide throughout the event.

When questioned regarding the seemingly disappointing performance of First Command jockey D. Dunn explained that despite being obliged to race three wide without cover the horse raced below expectation today and did not finish the race off as expected. D. Dunn added that connections indicated that First Command may now be spelled.

A post race veterinary examination of First Command failed to reveal any abnormalities.

Hay List lost an off-fore plate in running.

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