Steve speaks to David Hayes about the Japan Cup
The Caulfield Cup winner and genuine Melbourne Cup contender and – good heavens – locally bred stayer Boom Time (Flying Spur) may yet contest the 26 November Japan Cup (Gr 1, 2400m) but there is a proviso according to the master trainer.
“He’d have to finish in the first three in the Melbourne Cup. If he runs his skin off, I’ll look in the mirror and have a chat to the owner. He’s not yet a proven weight-for-age horse but he’s tough, he loves his racing, he’s in great form and there is the small matter of a two million US dollar bonus for winning the Caulfield and Japan Cups,” Hayes said.
Hayes, of course, in his first year of training won the 1990 Japan Cup with Better Loosen Up (Loosen Up) and that came less than a month after his phenomenal Derby day when the then 28-year-old – who’d taken over from father Colin – trained six winners at Flemington (and three in Adelaide).
Hayes also took his 1994 Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) winner Jeune (Kalaglow) to Japan in 1994 and he finished sixth behind Marvelous Crown (Miswaki). “He was flattened shortly after the start and really was a bit unlucky,” Hayes said.
After watching Kitasan Black (Black Tide) win the Tenno Sho Autumn (Gr 1, 2000m) last weekend, Hayes is well aware of the depth of competition which awaits in Japan. “They’re very good (stayers) and have been for a long time which I think shows just how good Better Loosen Up was to go there and win. It’ll be tough this year but the Caulfield Cup form held up via Humidor and I’ll think about it,” he said.
At this stage, Hayes has Boom Time and Ventura Storm (Zoffany) guaranteed a place in Tuesday’s Cup while Harlem (Champs Elysees) seeks to secure a start when he runs in today’s Lexus Stakes (Gr 2, 2500m) and will also have to pass a veterinary inspection, with Racing Victoria stewards harbouring concerns about one of his eyes.
His two locked in runners galloped together on the course proper at Flemington on Thursday morning. “There wasn’t much between them, but maybe a slight leaning to Boom Time,” Hayes said, “but importantly Ventura Storm stretched out really well and he trotted up sound after the gallop.”
Ventura Storm flopped when fancied in the Caulfield Cup (Gr 1, 2400m) but the trainer is prepared to forgive that performance. “He has galloped on behind and pulled up with a ‘foot’. Basically it was a bruised heel but he’s over it and he’s very well if the feed bin is any guide. He did beat home Humidor at his previous run,” Hayes said.
Boom Time has also been entered, along with four others from the stable, for the Hong Kong International meeting in December but none will be going. “They were nominated just in case there was a change to the quarantine rules but that doesn’t look likely. You can’t go having to spend six months somewhere else before returning home.
“Vega Magic probably would have gone to Hong Kong but not now. He’s all clear after the Manikato and will go to the Darley Classic next weekend,” he said.
Boom Time is, in my opinion, an astonishing $26 to win the Melbourne Cup. He was as strong as any horse through the line of the Caulfield Cup and may well have won by a greater margin but for losing momentum for some 30-40 metres when Cory Parish tried to angle to the outside of Single Gaze (Not A Single Doubt).
The key, of course, is how much did the racing pattern favour him that day? Thus, the performances today of several other horses were perceived to have been similarly advantaged on Caulfield Cup day will be instructive. They are principally Snitzepeg (Snitzel), Tangled (Snitzel) and Global Glamour (Star Witness).
Boom Time’s previous run was his fourth in the Herbert Power Stakes (Gr 2, 2400m) when he was best of the on-pace runners in an event run in the same time as the Caulfield Cup and at a similarly quick tempo. The eye catcher in the race was the Hugo Palmer–trained Wall Of Fire (Canford Cliffs), who profiles similarly to the 2014 Cup winner Protectionist (Monsun) and he’ll be mighty hard to beat.
As many as 12 overseas trained runners may line-up on Tuesday and it’s near impossible to put the pen through any of them. Recent history says they have the upper hand.
Since Vintage Crop’s (Rousillon) historic win in 1993, the internationals not only boast a further five wins in the race but have also had a further eleven runners-up, several of whom were either unluckily or narrowly beaten. I’m happy to be with them….and Boom Time.
As to Derby day, it may well be a minefield. We had Turnbull Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) day favouring swoopers and then had Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m) days favouring inside and on-pace runners so it’s hard to know what form to trust.
If I were having one bet only (which is unlikely) then it would be Desert Lashes (Reward For Effort) in race three.
FOR THE RECORD: Hayes’ 1990 Derby day winners were Raise A Rhythm at 5-2 on, Wrap Around 5-I, Beachside 14-1, Planet Ruler 14-1, Better Loosen Up 5-4 and Mount Olympus 10-1. Michael Clarke rode four and Peter Hutchinson two.