Lindsay Park colt Shining Smile continues sprint dominance at Flemington with fifth straight win

Ben Hayes is looking forward to the spring carnival with Shining Smile after the colt made it five wins in a row in his return at Flemington on Saturday.

Shining Smile (outside) beats Oyster Lane in the 2YO Handicap at Flemington. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images

Shining Smile refused to break his winning habit at Saturday’s Flemington meeting.

Shining Smile strung together four straight wins before going for a break following a Listed success at Flemington in March but had to work to make it five in a row in the VRC Member Sarah Hart Trophy (1000m).

The Spirit Of Boom colt carried 59.5kg after apprentice Logan Bates’ claim but would not wilt in the last 200m, getting the better of Oyster Lane late in the race despite giving the runner-up 4kg.

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The youngster’s latest win took his stakes tally to more than $480,000 in seven starts, thrilling co-trainer Ben Hayes.

“He’s done a great job today,” Hayes, who trains Shining Smile in partnership with his brothers Will and JD, said.

“To carry a big weight and give weight to all his competition like he did and be as tough as he was through the line, it’s really exciting.

“Arguably, he’s the best performed two-year-old for the whole year, albeit not in the big races.

“He’s won three stakes races and he’s got an exciting future ahead of him.”

Shining Smile + Flemington Straight = 😁😁😁

Five in a row for the Hayes trained colt, he's a beauty!@[e-mail]/FHptO2eZy1

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) July 19, 2025

• Derby path looms for Busuttin-Young stayer

The Lindsay Park operation has always been known as a prolific producer of two-year-old winners, a reputation that stretching back decades to family patriarch Colin Hayes’s days.

Hayes said two-year-old winners had been a focus for the stable in the last two seasons, an approach that has borne fruit this season.

“It’s been our best year to date with two-year-olds,” Hayes said.

“I think we’ve had nearly 30 winners for the year.

“It’s something that we’ve really worked on in the last couple of years and something that our father (David) was very good at.

“It’s nice to have a very good season and we’ve got some really exciting horses coming into the spring now.”

Ben Hayes is looking forward what’s to come from Shining Smile. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images

Shining Smile will be one of Lindsay Park’s representatives in three-year-old sprints early next season, including the Group 3 Vain Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on August 16.

Hayes said the consistent galloper’s prowess down the Flemington straight could lead him to tackle top company later in the spring as part of a Lindsay Park three-year-old assault on the carnival.

“He’s a tough horse and he loves a fight,” Hayes said.

“We’re really looking forward to seeing what he’s got.

“He’s got a pretty good record down the straight so he could be a horse for a race like the Coolmore.

“He’s going to be right in a race like that.”

The Ciaron Maher-trained Oyster Lane continued the promising start to his career with a fighting second to his more experienced rival while first-starter Bold Secret caught the eye with her last 150m.

Originally published as Lindsay Park colt Shining Smile continues sprint dominance at Flemington with fifth straight win