Winning Horse: Mr Brightside (NZ)

4yoG Bullbars (Aus) - Lilahjay (NZ)(Tavistock (NZ))

6 starts - 4 wins 1 second $121987

Other Wins

1st Sandown-Hillside Ive > Print (Bm70) 1600m (2021)

1st Sandown-Lakeside Ladbrokes Bet Ticker (Bm64) 1600m (2021)

1st Geelong Hollard Commercial Ins. Mdn 1447m (2021)

Other Placings

2nd Bendigo Budget Car & Truck Rental Mdn 1400m (2021)

Race Result:

1st: Mr Brightside (Team Hayes/C Williams) - $2.50F

2nd: Chief Altony (A Rae/J McNeil) - $7.50
3rd: Worsfold (N Smart/W Price) - $4.60

Winning Time: 1:38.02 Last 600m: N/A

Margins: 1¼L x ½ Head

Winning Trainer: Ben & JD Hayes (JD speaking)

“That was outstanding. Just loved the way he relaxed and put them away. He conserves his energy, this horse, like good horses do. He knows when it is game time and produces when he has to.

“He is obviously a nice horse coming through. We’ll see how he pulls up but this is still his first campaign here in Australia. How long is a piece of string? He’ll tell us but we’ll get him back to the farm and get him out in the day paddocks.

“I’d like to thank Wayne Norman, he helped us buy this horse. He put it on our radar and this is a nice horse to have coming through.”

Winning Jockey: Craig Williams

“Absolutely the best state (he’s been in). I just love the way Ben & JD’s partnership have placed this horse.

“They purchased the horse from New Zealand after a maiden loss. They put their Australian clients into it. I’ve found out there’s a lot of them - which is nice and easy when you’re winning for them.

“Just seeing that very patient gapping between runs, spacing his races, and just going to s benchmark 78 which is no weak benchmark 78 at this time of year either anyway.

“They brought him here on Tuesday morning so he had that experience. Again he went to the next level.

“I had a lot of confidence in the horse especially in this race and I thought the barrier gave me plenty of options. When I spoke to JD he just said to just ride him with a ‘high percentage’ ride and I had the right horse to be able to do it and it worked out well.”