Hard Kick (AUS)
2 g All Too Hard – Friendly Donna by Exceed And Excel
O: Lindsay Park Bloodstock (Mgr: Ms S Hayes)
B: Macquarie Stud
T: Ben, Will & JD Hayes
S: 2025 Inglis Ready2Race Sale V: Hannover Lodge P: Lindsay Park, $140,000
W: TAB Talindert Stakes, Listed, 1100m, February 14, Flemington
Hard Kick (All Too Hard) put his hat into the ring for next month’s Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) when scoring an impressive victory in Saturday’s Talindert Stakes (Listed, 1100m) at Flemington on debut.
The son of Vinery’s ultra-consistent sire All Too Hard (Casino Prince) went in as a well-supported $3 second favourite after winning all three of his jump-outs, and didn’t disappoint his backers.
Jumping from gate four of seven for Damian Lane, Hard Kick bolted to an early three-length lead, maintained a clear margin heading onto the course proper, then lived up to his name with a burst of acceleration at the 200 metres to beat $2.30 favourite Zambales (Pinatubo) by 2.8 lengths.
There was a further 1.7 lengths back to the third-placed Diameter (Brazen Beau).
Bearing Lindsay Park’s famed white with the green sash and black sleeves, Hard Kick also provided a welcome boost for the Hayes family after the death on Friday of former star Miss Finland (Redoute’s Choice), aged 22. That came while the Hayes Brothers’ Euroa stable still recovers from extensive recent bushfire damage.
“We’re not sure he’s as good as Miss Finland, but he looked pretty good there,” JD Hayes said of Hard Kick. “What a thrill. He’s been very well educated at home and we thought he was pretty good and he won with authority there.”
Lane was most impressed with Hard Kick, who took quite some pulling up past the post, saying he could be one of the best two-year-olds of the current Australian crop.
“Once the other horses got near him, he wanted to race them, so he’s just a natural competitor and he took a bit of slowing down after the line,” the jockey said.
“He’s a good horse. He’s been impressive at the jump-outs. You’re never sure going up to 1100 [metres] with two-year-olds off the back of 800-metre jump-outs, but he did give the feel he was going to be better past 800 metres and that’s what he’s done today.
“He’s gone to another level and really sustained a good gallop throughout. I thought before today that he was a good horse, but just off the better ones, but off the back of that, he might be right up there.”
Bred by the Baxter family’s Macquarie Stud in the lower Hunter Valley, Hard Kick was bought by Avesta Bloodstock from Middlebrook Valley Lodge’s draft at last year’s Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale for $30,000.
Put back through the Inglis Ready To Race sale by Hannover Lodge in October, he was purchased for $140,000 by Lindsay Park under the watchful eye of Hayes family patriarch David, who was in Sydney for The Everest (Gr 1, 1200m) win of his star sprinter Ka Ying Rising (Shamexpress) four days later.
Hard Kick became the 32nd individual stakes winner for All Too Hard, who also won the Talindert, in 2012.