Hayes Looks To Recreate Manikato Magic

Lindsay Park’s group 1 success could roll on into Friday night as Vega Magic gears up for the Manikato Stakes, with David Hayes confident he can avenge his narrow Everest defeat.

While still revelling in the deeds of Boom Time on Saturday, David Hayes predicted his star sprinter will start as the outright favourite in the $1million feature.

It’s been a common theme in recent weeks for Hayes to discuss how Vega Magic reminds him of the big chestnut gelding Manikato, a champion of the turf who won a total of 11 group 1 races and collected more than $1million in prizemoney back in the late 1970s.

With more and more people agreeing with him, the Hall Of Fame trainer is bullish about winning the race named in his honour.

“I think he’ll be favourite in the Manikato Stakes,” Hayes explained on Sunday.

“I was recently talking to Gary Willetts who used to ride the great Manikato and he came up to me and said ‘he is a dead ringer for him’.

“He’s a great sprinter and gee I hope his record ends up just as good [as Manikato’s].

Vega Magic was hampered by a wide draw and a conservative ride in the $10million The Everest last start which may have cost him the race, but Hayes isn’t concerned that the tight-turning nature of the Valley will prove to be another downfall.

“It’s no concern, Ascot [in Perth] is a tight track and I think he won 11 races there so I think he’ll love the Valley.”

On Saturday racing fans will be graced by Winx in the Cox Plate and the major event is tipped to have a low number of acceptances with many connections opting to avoid the great mare.

Hayes admits he’ll be cheering for her as she races to re-write history books but is likely to make a decision in the next day or so as to whether Group 1-placed Seaburge lines up against her.

“I think it’s a good year to barrack for her, she’s just a superstar and I’ll probably enjoy the race watching it more than competing in it,” Hayes confessed.

“But we are tossing up whether to run Seaburge who is starting to come back into form in either the Cox Plate or the Crystal Mile.

“You’d be basically racing for second so I’m going to have a good chat with the owners in the next 24 hours and we’ll make a decision on Monday.”

– racing.com

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