With reports circulating all week that Hay List looks set for a change of base away from the John McNair stable nobody was more surprised than the trainer himself.

In fact McNair maintains he’s never had an inkling things were going to change and says he hadn’t even considered it as an option until he read the stories himself this week.

Hay List continues to make good progress from a life threatening illness he contracted earlier in the year.

Injury cut short his Brisbane winter carnival and the illness kept him out of action for the duration of the spring carnival.

He’s currently based at Muskoka Farm but is only a matter of weeks away from returning to training.

It’s a matter of just where that training will be though and as far as McNair is concerned it will be back to him at Gosford.

“I’d be very surprised if the horse doesn’t come back here,” McNair said.

“I was speaking to some of the owners a couple of days ago about his sister (Golden Statue) who is racing at Wyong (today), and nothing was even mentioned about Hay List going anywhere.

“But I’ve been around and in this game long enough to know that things can change.”

Hay List is widely touted as the only horse in the country that could make Black Caviar work and his matchups with her have certainly been the most exciting of either horses career.

His last run was against her was when the two cleared away from the pack in the BTC Cup at Doomben but she was simply too strong for him despite a gallant effort.

Hay List is a two time Group 1 champion having saluted in the Manikato Stakes and All Aged Stakes.