Hay List will trial in Sydney this Friday ahead of a career defining campaign that trainer John McNair hopes will include the scalp of Black Caviar.
The sprinter has been away from the track since the BTC Cup in Brisbane seven months ago where he succumbed to yet another foot problem.
Things got a lot worse this time though and an infection became life threatening forcing him out of the entire spring carnival.
They’ve taken their time making sure he’s 100 percent healthy and we’ll get a glimpse of just how healthy he is at the end of the week.
He’s expected to trial on the Kensington track at Randwick however if it’s too hard he could be moved to Wyong.
“He’s coming along well and we want to trial him at Randwick,” McNair said.
“I would have preferred the course proper because I am worried the Kensington track might be too hard.
“There are trials at Wyong on the same day but at this stage it will be Randwick.”
Given the bad weather lashing the east coast this week there should be no issues in terms of the track being too hard.
This is all gearing him up for a first up test expected to be in the 1000m Lightning Stakes at Flemington on February 18.
From there he’ll tackle the TJ Smith and the All Aged Stakes before going to Singapore for the KrisFlyer Sprint and then the Royal Ascot carnival
“The Lighting is a leg of the Global Sprint Challenge so it would be good to get one out of the way,” McNair said.
“There is also the Expressway Stakes in Sydney the week before.
“We’ll just get the trial out of the way and then weight things up.”
It was only Black Caviar that denied him the Lightning Stakes in 2011 and it’d be a safe bet that should he come back healthy it’d only be Black Caviar that could deny him any Australian sprint this time as well.
That being said don’t expect McNair to run away, if their paths cross he says he can and will beat her.
“If he’s right she won’t be beating him again,” he said.
McNair feels Black caviar might be vulnerable over the 1400m, a distance Hay List has already been successful over.
