Summer racing might have seemed like the off season in the past but between the two and three-year-olds, the time is coming for new and emerging talent to raise their profiles.
One of those three-year-olds is Carbonados (NZ) (Belardo) who Ben Hayes is very keen to see perform well in over 1100-metres in a A$175,000 for horses of that age at Geelong on Saturday.
Purchased by Lindsay Park last year after winning impressively as a short-priced favourite on debut at New Plymouth for trainer Allan Sharrock over 1200-metres in May, the team whisked the gelding across the Tasman towards a berth in the Gr.1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) in October.
That wasn’t to be as the son of former Haunui Farm shuttle stallion Belardo suffered a quarter crack in one hoof which took that time to recover.
“He has trialled up well and trialled very easily the other day,” Ben Hayes said of the jump out over 800-metres at Flemington on December 22 that Carbonados won.
“I think he is a miler but I think can show something here.
“We had to back off him in the springtime with the quarter crack which wasn’t significant but enough that we thought we would look after him.”
Together with Lindsay Park’s investment, other prominent names in the ownership include Werrett Bloodstock, however the gelding will carry the famous lightning bolt colours of Rupert Legh.
