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Trainer David Hayes believes his fillies Pasadena Girl and Sacred Eye are the class runners and can improve in the 2016 Schweppes Oaks.
The 2016 Schweppes Oaks, also known as the Australasian Oaks, at Morphetville this Saturday May 7 has drawn a competitive field of fillies and while the Hayes-Dabernig pair have had conflicting fortunes at the barrier draw, Hayes is confident both can be competitive.
Formerly-trained by Peter Moody, Pasadena Girl was unplaced in two Sydney autumn carnival runs but Hayes has been impressed with her work in recent weeks.“She’s on trial at the distance but her trackwork when we stretched her out has been very good and she’s really thrived being trained here at Lindsay Park for the last three weeks,” Hayes said.
“If she runs the trip she’ll be right in it because she’s very healthy.”A leading filly last spring when she won the Caulfield Classic, Sacred Eye has struggled to find her best form this campaign but Hayes believes a key gear change could spark a better performance.
“She’s coming back in distance but blinkers go on,” Hayes said.“She’s got a horror gate but is probably the stable elect. She’ll improve a lot on top of the ground and just looks fantastic.”
Hayes-Dabernig also have improving three-year-old facing Faatinah a class test at Morphetville.A last-start winner, Faatinah steps up to Group 2 company in the 2016 Euclase Stakes.
“This is a cracking three-year-old race but he’s a winner at the track,” Hayes said.“He’s probably a lot better than what he was first up but is going up sharply in class.”