Hayes brothers double parked in Chairman’s Stakes with pair of exciting fillies
Powerhouse stable Lindsay Park will saddle up two exciting fillies in Saturday’s Chairman’s Stakes (Gr 3, 1000m) at Caulfield, with blue-blood La Gitana (Home Affairs) and Godolphin homebred Mirador (Brazen Beau) set to attempt to make their mark ahead of bigger autumn carnival ambitions.
The Chairman’s Stakes boasts an honour roll of elite juveniles, including Redoute’s Choice (Danehill) and Extreme Choice (Not A Single Doubt), both of whom used the race as a springboard to Blue Diamond (Gr 1, 1200m) success.
La Gitana demonstrated her precocity when she appeared at the first official two-year-old trials of the spring at Caulfield in October. She finished third and was sent back to the paddock.
“At those same Caulfield trials was Torture and Free flying, so she’s actually done a really good job,” Will Hayes, who trains in partnership with brothers Ben and JD, told ANZ News. “She was up and over that day and we freshened her up.”
The filly has returned in strong order, winning two recent Pakenham jump-outs, both of which she jumped impressively and won with ease under a hold. The caller used phrases like ‘bolt in’ and ‘brain them’.
“She’s come back and she’s certainly a bigger, better version of herself,” Hayes said. “I thought her two trials so far have been nothing but pleasing and we are very happy with how she’s come out of them.”
La Gitana was meant to make her debut in last week’s Blue Diamond Preview (F) (Gr 3, 1000m), but was scratched after being unable to get to the track due to freeway closures.
Hayes is hoping for better luck this weekend.
“It was just a shame last week, she was due to kick off in the preview,” he said.
“It was just completely uncontrollable. It was actually two 16-year-olds who stole a car and flipped it. That’s the reason we missed the race, so she’s going for a take two.”
La Gitana will jump from barrier four with Damian Lane aboard, and Hayes said the stable will allow her to use her natural pace without locking into a rigid plan.
“As a two-year-old on debut, the plan will just be to bounce, squeeze, travel. You don’t want to take away early speed, which she looks at plenty of from her jump outs and trials, but you also don’t want to make that your only game plan,” Hayes said.
From the first crop of Coolmore Stud’s Home Affairs (I Am Invincible), La Gitana has a pedigree worth boasting about. She is out of Group 2-winning mare Hips Don’t Lie (Stravinsky), making her a half-sister to Inglis Nursery (RL, 1000m) winner turned Coolmore stallion Acrobat (Fastnet Rock), Listed-winning Group 1 placegetter Lake Geneva (Fastnet Rock) and Ennis Hill (Fastnet Rock), winner of the 2018 Chairman’s Stakes.
Ennis Hill has since produced Champion 2YO Filly of 2022-23 Learning To Fly (Justify) and La Gitana’s stablemate Free Flying (Snitzel), who placed second in the Debutant Stakes (Listed, 1000m) in October.
La Gitana was purchased by James Bester Bloodstock from Coolmore’s draft at the 2025 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale for $400,000.
Home Affairs has made a bright start to his stud career, having produced 14 runners for four winners and a stakes winner.
The filly holds nominations for both of the premier juvenile Group 1s, but Hayes said the stable will wait to see how her debut performance unfolds before committing to a path towards either the Blue Diamond or Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m).
“We will certainly try to find a pedigree upgrade at every opportunity given she really is a textbook blueblood. But we will see what happens on Saturday and go back to the drawing board,” Hayes said.
Lindsay Park will also be represented by Mirador, who looks to go one better than her debut performance when finishing second behind exciting colt Big Sky (Bivouac) at Flemington on January 17.
The pair meet again on Saturday, with the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained colt a firm $1.85 favourite.
“She came through the run very well,” Hayes said. “We are hoping to see an improved performance again back around the bend, like she did in her trials. She was very pleasing and I think it was very honest second to what looks to be the in-form two-year-old of the season from what we’ve seen so far. So it’s exciting and I think her back around the bend could be the key.”
Mirador will jump from barrier nine with Luke Currie aboard, and Hayes said tactics may depend on how the race shapes from the wider draw.
“The draw of barrier nine is a little bit stickier, so we’ll have to be more open to potentially riding her with cover, but as you could expect in the chairman’s will be high speed from the thousand,” Hayes added.
Bred and raced by the Darley/Godolphin powerhouse, Mirador is by Brazen Beau (I Am Invincible) out of winning Group 3 placegetter Almanzora (Lonhro). Her second dam is Listed scorer Palomares (Commands), while deeper in the pedigree sits Blue Diamond winner and 2013-14 Australian Champion 2YO Earthquake (Exceed And Excel). The family also includes MRC Thousand Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Madame Pommery (No Nay Never).
The Hayes stable is renowned for its juvenile expertise and has already produced two two-year-old stakes winners this season in Maribyrnong Trial Stakes (Listed, 1000m) winner Eurocanto (Per Incanto) and Debutant Stakes (Listed, 1000m) winner Torture (Sword Of State).
Hayes said the stable’s success is built on education and process from the earliest stages.
“It starts from day one. We do a lot of education with our two-year-olds in terms of their craft and how they race among horses and in behind,” he said.
“We do a lot of different things with them and lead up, so these two fillies are very well prepared and we’re very confident they’ll handle the race day.”
With the yearling sale season in full swing, Hayes added the team is already focused on securing the next crop of juveniles.
“We’ve had really good support. We have been spearheaded by Dean Hawthorne and Josh Rix, and Dr. Dave McKellar, and that trio have really led us down a good path,” he said.
“We are very happy with the juveniles we have secured from Magic Millions and Karaka so far and we’re gearing up to go again at Inglis Classic. It’s been very good and the horses we’re buying are selling down well. We’re very happy with the athletes bringing home.”