The Lindsay Park stable will be shooting for a fourth straight win in the P B Lawrence Stakes when they saddle two runners at Caulfield.
Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars) won the Group 2 race over 1400m in consecutive years before Gentleman Roy (So You Think) completed the treble for the stable last year.
Ben, Will and J D Hayes will this year be represented by Here To Shock (NZ) (Shocking) and Evaporate (NZ) (Per Incanto) who will be entering the contest first-up having performed solidly in jump-outs.
Evaporate will be having his first start as a four-year-old having competed strongly in three-year-old company last season.
He finished third in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas, ran in the Group 1 Cox Plate against the older horses last spring, while in the autumn he finished fourth against the older horses again at Group 1 level, travelled to New Zealand and then back to Sydney to win the Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes at Randwick to wind up his three-year-old year.
Ben Hayes said Evaporate had developed further following his break and is eagerly awaiting his return to racing on Saturday.
“His trials have been excellent, he’s come through his trials really well and he’s a horse I think that is going to be in for a very good campaign,” Hayes said.
“He’s already raced at weight-for-age at a very high level. Usually when they step from three to four they haven’t done it, but he has already.
“He’s run in a Cox Plate, he’s run at weight-for-age against some of the best horses in Australia.
“He’s already made that step up and I think he will be able to do it again.”
Hayes said Evaporate could prove a bit of a handful for his riders last campaign, but being a year older and more seasoned now was beginning settle more in his work.
“He’s just starting to relax and we think that will be the key with him,” Hayes said.
Here To Shock has also pleased the Hayes boys with a couple of jump-outs since he last raced when second at Group 1 level at Randwick in March.
This time last year, Here To Shock was about to kick-off a spring, summer and autumn campaign that saw him finish out of the top two placings on one occasion from seven starts.
“We could not be happier with the way he is going,” Hayes said.
“He was trialling against some very smart sprinters in Baraqiel (Snitzel) and Arabian Summer (Too Darn Hot) last time and he showed he is right on track.
“He has to kick off there because he won $2 million last preparation and his rating doesn’t allow him to take any easier options.
“It will be good to see how he measures up against some of the better horses.”
A field of 11 is set to tackle the early spring race with Here To Shock drawn the extreme outside gate for Daniel Stackhouse with Evaporate in barrier 3 for Blake Shinn.