Why JD Hayes put a ‘big circle’ around $3.5m Kiwi slot race for Evaporate

With stable star Mr Brightside contesting the All-Star Mile, JD Hayes will be trackside in New Zealand to watch one of the stable’s young talents compete as favourite in the $3.5m The Kiwi slot race.

Evaporate is the favourite for the $3.5m The Kiwi slot race on Saturday. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images

Mr Brightside may be the headline act for Lindsay Park at Flemington on Saturday, but JD Hayes will be trackside at Ellerslie after long ago putting a “big circle” around the $3.5m new slot race The Kiwi.

Evaporate is favourite for the inaugural race for three-year-olds, to be raced over 1500m, and presents with strong weight-for-age form after having finished fourth in the Group 1 Futurity Stakes and less than two lengths from champion stablemate Mr Brightside.

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JD Hayes said punters only need to glance at how Lindsay Park has placed the young gelding – including unleashing him in last year’s Cox Plate – to know how highly he is thought of.

It’s no wonder he is the $2.60 favourite for The Kiwi, even after drawing wide in barrier 10.

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“For us to put him in two weight-for-age races already just shows what we think of Evaporate,” Hayes, who trains with brothers Will and Ben, said.

“In his last start, he wasn’t beaten far against some of the best weight-for-age horses in Australia, so it’s very good form lines to take over to New Zealand.

“We have been setting him for this race since last spring so it has been on the agenda for a long time.

“We have put a big circle around this race for a long time, to have him absolutely spot on for it.”

Lindsay Park trainer Will Hayes, Ben Hayes and JD Hayes. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images.

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Lindsay Park may have more big fish to fry with Evaporate this autumn and is certainly not ruling out him continuing his campaign once he returns to Australia.

However, they will assess how he races on Saturday before committing to any future plans.

One thing for sure is that JD Hayes insists racing fans have only seen the tip of the iceberg of Evaporate’s talent.

Recently, he has been tangling with some of the top racing stars in Australia.

And last year he won four in a row before finishing third in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas.

“What he has been doing so far is very good, but he is still very young and the best is still ahead of him,” Hayes, who jetted into Auckland on Wednesday, said.

“He’s a really talented galloper with a lovely strong stride on him.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how he goes in New Zealand and, absolutely, if we have the right horse for the right race, we will be looking to race horses in New Zealand in the future.”

Kiwi-bred Evaporate will be ridden by his regular jockey, expat Kiwi Mick Dee.

The World Pool will be in operation on The Kiwi and for races five to nine (including the Group New Zealand Derby) at Ellerslie on Saturday.

Originally published as Why JD Hayes put a ‘big circle’ around $3.5m Kiwi slot race for Evaporate