Hay List is a definite starter in Saturday’s $125,000 Group 3 McGrath Real Estate Agents Missile Stakes at Royal Randwick, after trainer John McNair erred on the side of caution earlier in the week.
The veteran race horse will be paired with Hugh Bowman in the 1200m event, which is also the first weight-for-age race of the 2013-2014 NSW racing season.
Flanked by a quality field, Hay List will contend with the likes of Rain Affair, which three starts back finished a close second to All Too Hard in the All Aged Stakes and Mic Mac, which recently won the Listed Civic Stakes and fought hard to finish second in the Listed Winter Stakes.
Another contender, Dual Group 1 winner Atomic Force, trained by Darren Smith has not won a race since taking out the Gr 1-Railway Stakes at Ellerslie last year and won’t be deterred after a disappointing run in the Gr 1-TJ Smith at Randwick in April.
Of the $785,000 on offer in prizemoney on Saturday, the Listed The Rosebud will carry $100,000 for a field of 10 which features some of last season’s best two-year-old performers, Eurozone (James and Bart Cummings) and Bull Point (Gai Waterhouse).
Of particular importance is the dedication of race one to Simone Montgomerie, who tragically died after a race fall at Darwin on Monday.
Jockeys will wear black armbands when they race in the Simone Montgomerie Tribute (1400m) and donations can be made on the day. Racing NSW and the Australian Turf Club pledged $10,000 to the Simone Montgomerie Fund earlier in the week.
Randwick is currently rated dead (4) with the rail out five metres.
– Australian Turf Club
