Spring plans for Spillway after Japan Racing Association Plate win

Trainer David Hayes will spell Spillway and get the import ready for the Spring after winning the Group 3 $150,000 Crust Gourmet Pizza  Japan Racing Association Plate (2000m) at Randwick today.

Spillway came from near last on the home turn to win the Japan Racing Association Plate.

Spillway came from near last on the home turn to win the Japan Racing Association Plate. Photo by Steve Hart.

Spillway was having his third run in Australia since arriving from England and Hayes thinks the Rail Link four year old will make the perfect Caulfield Cup horse.

“We are hoping he is a Caulfield Cup horse,” Hayes said.

“His rating is eighty-eight and that has been a bit of a concern heading for the Spring, hoping that he will get up into the hundreds now and that will be able to set him up.”

“We will sweeten him up a bit. He is a horse that needs dry ground and we will see him in the Spring I think.”

Hayes will send Spillway to the spelling paddock before preparing him for Spring and trying to qualify him for the Group 1 $3m BMW Caulfield Cup (2400m) at Caulfield in October.

Hayes wasn’t worried that Kerrin McEvoy had Spillway near the tail of the field coming to the home turn and knew that he would come to the outside in the straight looking for the better going.

“We walked the track this morning and I felt that by the end of the meeting coming down the outside might work and I think he was flattered by the superior ground out there,” Hayes said.

Spillway ($16) was able to finish too strongly to score by two and a half lengths from the Chris Waller trained Danchai ($12) and Slow Pace ($8) from the Kris Lees stable, with all three placegetters formerly trained in Europe.

McEvoy was glad to ride the last winner of the Sydney Autumn Carnival and it was some consolation after riding another Group 1 placing earlier in the day for Peter Snowden on Kumaon who finished third in the Group 1 $400,000 Moet & Chandon Champagne Stakes (1600m).

McEvoy and Snowden also combined with placings with Haussman, third in the 1400m Benchmark Handicap, Knoydart, second in the Group 3 $150,000 Ticketek Hall Mark Stakes (1200m) and Malice, third in the Group 3 $150,000 Johnnie Walker Frank Packer Plate (2000m).

“After a frustrating day it’s nice to get a winner,” McEvoy said.

“His first run was quite good at Bendigo and he didn’t enjoy the soft ground last time at Rosehill and his record suggests that dry ground suits.”

“Today we were able to sit back and relax and with a nice tempo up front he travelled supremely well and he was full of running once we turned for home.”

“We got out onto some unused ground and he felt great. So obviously he will be a nice staying animal for the future.”

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.