Lindsey Smith books Dean Yendall to ride Reykjavik and Pacodali for Group 1 races in Perth

Dean Yendall’s hard work has been rewarded with plenty of winners in a successful alliance with Lindsey Smith that will continue during the Perth summer carnival.

Lindsey Smith and Dean Yendall have combined for regular wins. Picture: Getty Images

Dean Yendall will head to the Perth summer carnival to continue his association with Lindsey Smith and will ride in two Group 1 races for him.

Smith and Yendall combined to win the Group 1 Memsie Stakes at Caulfield in September with Scales Of Justice.

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The pair have had recent wins with Reykjavik at Flemington and Pacodali at Sandown on Saturday.

Next Saturday Reykjavik will contest the 1600m Railway Stakes at Ascot and on December 7 Pacodali will run in the 1800m Kingston Town Classic at that track.

Smith said the key to Reykjavik’s chances were whether he could draw an inside gate.

“If he can get a low draw with his light weight, he’ll be a chance,” Smith said.

The trainer said Pacodali was going so well, he deserved a chance in a Group 1 such as the Kingston Town.

Dean Yendall rides Pacodali to victory at Sandown on Saturday. Picture: AAP

Yendall said he didn’t know where his career would be at if Perth trainer Smith hadn’t expanded to Warrnambool.

A serious fall in Adelaide in March and Darren Weir’s disqualification were big setbacks.

“I was lucky. I was coming back from my injury and Jarrod McLean said to come and ride work there (Warrnambool) to get my fitness up and that was also when Lindsey had his first day of training there, so I also rode for him,” Yendall said.

“I’m not getting the chances I used to, but my strike rate is still pretty good.”

Smith said Yendall deserved his chances as he was virtually the only jockey to put up his hand to ride work for him.

HEY DOC EARNS TICKET TO PERTH

Tony McEvoy trained a ­double with Xilong and Pretty Brazen at Sandown on Saturday but left the meeting thinking Hey Doc’s return to racing had made it a treble.

“I felt like I’d trained a ­winner, I was so pleased with his return,” McEvoy said.

Hey Doc, having his first start for 14 months, ran third in the 1300m Kevin Heffernan Stakes behind Teleplay, beaten a nose and short neck.

Now McEvoy will send the dual Group 1 winner to Perth for the $1 million Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) on Saturday week. Hey Doc is a $9 chance with TAB fixed odds.

Hey Doc (orange cap) ran third at Sandown on Saturday in his return to the track after 14 months. Picture: AAP

“He’ll be on the plane. He’s pulled up beautifully and he’s lovely and sound in his action this morning,” he said.

McEvoy said it was a relief to have seen the six-year-old perform so well.

“He had a 4½-month preparation to get him ready for Saturday and the only thing he was going to miss was race ­fitness, and it was the last 30m which cost him the race,’’ he said. “The hard and fit horses just got him in the end. If it was 1200m and not 1300m, he probably would have won.”

Originally published as Lindsey Smith books Dean Yendall to ride Reykjavik and Pacodali for Group 1 races in Perth