Rise At Dawn primed to spring upset in Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup

Rise At Dawn may not be a picture to look at but trainer Will Hayes says he has plenty of heart which can take him a long way in the Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup.

Kingsford Smith Cup contender Rise At Dawn is the Hayes brothers’ “ugly duckling” who has done what superstar stablemate Mr Brightside couldn’t.

Will Hayes, who trains alongside his brothers Ben and JD, pointed out that Rise At Dawn won the Listed The Elms Handicap (1400m) at Flemington in February first-up in his preparation, an achievement that even the great Mr Brightside couldn’t pull off in 2022.

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“By no means is this an easy race,” he said about the Group 1 $1m Kingsford Smith, which offers a golden ticket to the Stradbroke Handicap for the winner.

“He’s certainly going to be right there to the finish because he’s a horse with tremendous high-cruising speed and he does get pretty quick to the corner.

“I remember what he did first-up in The Elms in the autumn. He goes pretty good first-up so we’re very excited for the weekend.

“Mr Brightside actually kicked off one preparation in The Elms and wasn’t able to do it so he’s certainly in pretty good company.”

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Four-year-old Rise At Dawn is a $17 chance for the Kingsford Smith Cup, well behind favourite Joliestar ($2.90), Giga Kick ($5), Benedetta ($7.50) and Bosustow ($8.50) in the market.

The gelding that co-trainer Ben Hayes last month described as an “ugly duckling, but he’s all heart” was initially slated to run in last weekend’s Group 3 BRC Sprint (1350m) but a bad barrier draw led to his scratching.

Last-start winner Rise At Dawn (right) may be an “ugly duckling” but he has plenty of ticker, according to co-trainer Will Hayes. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images

“We decided to bide our time and I’m glad we did because we’ve come up with a very good barrier (one) in what looks to be a competitive race,” Will Hayes said.

“It’s a weight-for-age path as well so if we win, it doesn’t change our weight in the Stradbroke (52.5kg).”

Asked about the “ugly duckling” reference, Will said: “He’s certainly not a picture by any means.

“It’s a bit like there’s no such thing as an ugly rich bloke and there’s no such thing as an ugly fast horse.

“He’s by Almanzor and he keeps rising to every occasion.”

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A Kingsford Smith Cup victory would not only secure a spot in the Stradbroke, but the $600,000 winner’s cheque would push Rise At Dawn’s prizemoney well beyond the $1m mark.

“I think you can make a case for probably eight horses in the race,” Hayes said.

“They’ll more than likely be having to give us a decent start but we’re meeting them all at set weights so it’s going to be a very good barometer as we head towards the Stradbroke.”

Rise At Dawn flopped in the All-Star Mile (1600m) at Flemington in the autumn before his last start, an impressive fourth in the $4m Group 1 Doncaster Mile, which was won by last year’s Stradbroke Handicap champion Stefi Magnetica on April 5.

Originally published as Rise At Dawn primed to spring upset in Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup