Rise At Dawn out to give Lindsay Park a first Stradbroke Handicap win

A solid fourth in his first Group 1 test in Sydney convinced trainers Ben, Will and JD Hayes to anoint Rise At Dawn as the stable’s Stradbroke Handicap hope.

Rise At Dawn could give Lindsay Park its first Stradbroke Handicap win in Brisbane next month. Picture: Racing Photos

Lindsay Park trainers Ben, JD and Will Hayes have earmarked their candidate to give the Hayes family its first win in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap in Brisbane.

The Lindsay Park dynasty has won hundreds of Group 1 races in its various incarnations but is yet to feature on the Stradbroke Handicap honour roll.

The Hayes brothers will send multiple stakes winner Rise At Dawn north in a bid to change that fact in next month’s edition of Queensland’s greatest race.

Rise At Dawn has won eight of 15 starts and finished an admirable fourth to last year’s Stradbroke winner Stefi Magnetica in the Group 1 Doncaster Mile in Sydney at his most recent outing.

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“He didn’t have too many excuses in the Doncaster,” Hayes said.

“If anything, he might have got going earlier.

“He made it a bit of a sit and sprint, and he got outsprinted, but we have no complaints. He ran super.”

Ben Hayes said Rise At Dawn’s Doncaster Mile effort showed he would be hard to beat in a Stradbroke.

Stradbroke winner Stefi Magnetica reigns supreme in the G1 Doncaster Mile, as @BBakerRacing and Jason Collett celebrate another success ! 🙌@aus_turf_club | @WorldPoolpic.twitter.com/13Mkg5tEdS

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 5, 2025

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“He’s definitely our Stradbroke horse,” he said.

“I think he’ll get in nicely with a lowish weight.”

Hayes said Rise At Dawn spent time at Lindsay Park’s Euroa base before returning to Flemington for a jumpout last Friday.

Rise At Dawn won his 800m heat, indicating he was tracking well towards his Queensland trip.

“We’ve just been keeping him happy at the farm and ticking him over,” Hayes said.

“He trialled very well on Friday, like he always does.”

Hayes said Rise At Dawn would have a lead-up run in the Group 3 BRC Sprint (1350m) on May 24 before progressing to the Stradbroke Handicap on June 14.

Hayes noted Rise At Dawn would be liable for a Stradbroke Handicap penalty should he win the BRC Sprint but said a weight increase was unlikely to hinder the gelding too much in the $3m feature.

“It will be a good tick-over run and if he wins it, I won’t mind because he won’t go up too much in weight,” Hayes said.

Rise At Dawn is a $15 chance in early Stradbroke Handicap betting.

Hayes said Rise At Dawn would be one of possibly six Queensland-bound runners from the Lindsay Park stable.

Madiyya delivers on her relentless market support, powering away to win comfortably at the post 💫@lindsayparkracepic.twitter.com/8QxUD9Bhuc

— Racing.com (@Racing) May 10, 2025

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Recent stable recruits Coeur Volante and Bankers Choice are likely to head north along with last Saturday’s Caulfield winners Madiyya and War Machine.

Hayes said Bankers Choice, who is also entered for Saturday’s Listed Andrew Ramsden at Flemington, could follow a similar program to the 2023 Caulfield and Melbourne Cup winner Without A Fight.

Bankers Choice has qualified for the Caulfield Cup after winning last month’s Mornington Cup, giving the Hayes brothers a number of options for the rising eight-year-old.

It's Bankers Choice's Mornington Cup! 🏆🏦

The Glen Thompson-trained stayer adds another Cup to his mantlepiece following a masterpiece piece of riding by @DanielStack33. pic.twitter.com/1hwmGpoAcp

— Racing.com (@Racing) April 19, 2025

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“He’s qualified for the Caulfield Cup now, so we just have to keep him ticking over,” Hayes said.

“We’ll do it a little bit like Without a Fight up there.

“Then we’ll go the weight-for-age route into the Caulfield Cup.”

Originally published as Rise At Dawn out to give Lindsay Park a first Stradbroke Handicap win