Cranbourne trainer Clinton McDonald preparing impressive team of spring carnival hopes

Weeks spent in warmer climates have aided Clinton McDonald’s task of getting Hayasugi ready for Group 1 tests against the older horses as part of the Cranbourne trainer’s Spring Carnival team of sprinters.

Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Hayasugi is one of Cranbourne trainer Clinton McDonald’s spring team of sprinters. Picture: Getty Images.

Cranbourne trainer Clinton McDonald is happy to lay in wait with his impressive arsenal of sprinting talent through the cold and wet winter months.

By his own description, McDonald has been “very quiet” at race meetings but things have been humming along in the background as his stable stars gear up for the spring.

McDonald emulated his father Ross when he won the Blue Diamond Stakes in February with Hayasugi before luck deserted the filly when she struggled from a wide gate at her last start in the Golden Slipper.

Hayasugi has not been back to Victoria since the Golden Slipper but McDonald said the rising three-year-old has thrived in her northern environment.

“She’s up on the Gold Coast and looks great,” McDonald said.

“She’s been there about six or seven weeks. She’s due to fly back here on (July 29 or July 30) and trial in August.

“Straight after the Golden Slipper she went to Segenhoe and spelled there for a few weeks then went and did three weeks on the water walker before another couple of weeks in the paddock.”

McDonald said connections had earmarked two Group 1 assignments against older horses as Hayasugi’s main spring targets.

“She’ll run first-up in the Moir (Stakes) then into the Manikato (Stakes),” McDonald said.

“We’re just concentrating on those first two races, they’re both Group 1 races.”

It's been a big 24 hours for @cmcdonaldracing 🔥

Stanley Express charges home to win the $1 million VOBIS Platinum Showdown on debut! 😯

Bold Bastille was scratched at the barriers. pic.twitter.com/nuz8p389ZK

— Racing.com (@Racing) April 27, 2024

McDonald said Hayasugi’s owners had not had much contact from slot holders inquiring about the possibility of having a crack at The Everest with the daughter of Royal Meeting.

However, he said such an approach would prompt a discussion.

“If that happens, it happens but it’s something we would need to discuss first,” McDonald said.

“Obviously, she would come first if we have to decide whether we would take on a race like The Everest as a three-year-old filly or wait until she’s a four-year-old mare. We’ve got plenty of water to go under the bridge first.”

While Hayasugi has enjoyed warmer weather in NSW and Queensland, Group 2-winning sprinter Star Patrol has been in work preparing for his return to racing in the coming weeks.

Star Patrol has not raced since last year’s Group 1 Champions’ Sprint at Flemington after a minor issue that dragged on kept him out of the autumn.

Star Patrol is well & truly back ⭐

The son of Starspangledbanner does the Bobbie Lewis & Gilgai Stakes double 🙌@[e-mail]/J5JJCuf9kY

— Racing.com (@Racing) October 7, 2023

“He’s done about four weeks work and he’s coming along well,” McDonald said.

“He got a really bad foot abscess and we had to wait but it just took forever to burst.

“We had to miss the autumn and we thought there was no point coming back through winter because he doesn’t really handle wet tracks.”

McDonald also had high expectations for Stanley Express after the powerful youngster won the $1m Showdown at his only outing in April.

He said the son of Starspangledbanner would have a crack at the best three-year-old sprints during the spring carnival.

“He’ll go to the (Group 1) Coolmore (Stud Stakes),” McDonald said.

“He’ll run in those lead-up races like the Danehill (Stakes) and those type of races. He’s 565kg so he’s a big horse but we think he’s a decent horse.”

Originally published as Cranbourne trainer Clinton McDonald preparing impressive team of spring carnival hopes