New Zealand-bred gelding Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars) continued to please his connections at Lindsay Park this week with victory in his 1000m trial at Benalla on Monday.
“That’s very typical of him,” Ben Hayes, who trains in partnership with his brothers JD and Will, told Racing.com.
“He is a little bit on the lazy side, which it what we’ve always said about him, we’ve never been confident with him going into a race because he leaves it for race day.
“But we were very happy, Craig just let him balance and got him to the outside and took him through his paces and on the line, he had his ears pricked and just did what he had to.
“It was exactly what we wanted and will tighten him up nicely.
“Going a month between runs, I think it was just a good hit-out just under two weeks from his race and we wanted a good gallop in company and doing it in a trial is probably the best way to do it more like pressure.”
The son of Bullbars has been unstoppable this preparation, winning all three starts, including the Gr.2 PB Lawrence Stakes (1400m), Gr.1 Memsie Stakes (1400m), and Gr.1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m).
The six-year-old has now won five consecutive races, after finishing off last season with victories n the A$5 million All-Star Mile (1600m) and Gr.1 Doncaster Mile (1600m).
He will be vying to extend his picket fence form line on Saturday-week when he heads to Sydney to contest the A$5 million Gr.1 King Charles III Stakes (1600m) at Randwick.
“He has done very well between runs … he has been back to the farm and he has been out in the paddocks getting his head down and is holding his condition beautifully,” Hayes said.
“You wouldn’t think he is deep into a prep and as we’ve always said he really thrives as he gets into his prep and is doing it again.
“Going into his first-up run he was very hairy and second-up he improved a bit in the coat but still hairy and third-up his coat wasn’t quite there but was probably the best win he’s done in his career.
“Even Craig (Williams, jockey) commented he’s starting to dapple up and ready to peak fourth-up and last preparation fourth-up he was able to win a Doncaster. “He is ready to go.”
