Helene Vitality back in Caulfield Cup picture
Trainer David Hayes counted off the reasons why Helene Vitality can win the Group One A$2.2 million Caulfield Cup for Hong Kong on October 19 after the stayer ran a slashing trial in Melbourne yesterday.
'He's back on track - no, he's better than that,' Hayes bubbled after watching Helene Vitality find the line strongly from midfield for fourth in the Group Two Turnbull Stakes at Flemington, just over two lengths behind champion racehorse Northerly.
After running well at his first start in Melbourne last month, Helene Vitality had placed a question mark over his campaign for the Melbourne Cup in November by running last at Caulfield, but yesterday's effort placed the gelding back in the Cup picture.
'I think there are three key reasons why we can turn the tables in the Caulfield Cup,' Hayes enthused. 'Firstly, we will meet Northerly on better weight terms. Second, I know my horse will run a strong 2,400 metres, which is something Northerly has yet to do. And third, Dwayne Dunn will take over the reins. Stephen Baster has done absolutely nothing wrong on the horse but Dwayne was always coming to ride him in the Cup races. I think Dwayne has a special affinity with the horse and he will go even a little better for him. The other thing that has to be remembered is that the Flemington track was rated dead and we know Helene Vitality is a better horse if he gets firm going.'
Baster told Hayes the gelding 'would have been right in the fight' to win the race if he had not been buffeted between the 250 metres and 400 metres. 'I don't know if I could go quite that far but there is no doubt he could have been right on the girth of Northerly,' Hayes said. 'Actually, we wanted to have him in the box seat from a good draw today but he missed the start and so was a little further back than planned. That added merit to the run, too.'
On the other side of the coin, the Australian odyssey is over for Hong Kong's Able Choice after his lacklustre eight-length seventh in a 1,400-metre Listed race under jockey Michael Cahill.