Hard Kick lives up to his name in Talindert win
Hard Kick (All Too Hard) surged up the betting for the autumn’s two-year-old features and brought a welcome tonic for Lindsay Park with an impressive victory in Saturday’s Talindert Stakes (Listed, 1100m) at Flemington.
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 put the issue beyond doubt.
The gelding scored by 2.75 lengths from Anthony and Sam Freedman’s $2.30 favourite Zambales (Pinatubo), with another Godolphin colt in Diameter (Brazen Beau) a further 1.75 lengths away in third for Chris Waller at $13.
Hard Kick also made a surge up the betting for next Saturday’s Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) – to the fourth line at $8 – and to $26 for the Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m) on March 21 at Rosehill. He’s not nominated for either at this stage.
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.
Trained by the brothers’ father David Hayes, Miss Finland won five Group 1s including the rare double of the Golden Slipper and the VRC Oaks (Gr 1, 2500m). She also performed well at stud, with seven winners from nine runners including Thousand Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) queen Stay With Me (Street Cry) and four other stakes horses, two of whom placed at the top level.
“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.”
Asked what impressed him the most, Hayes said it was the winning margin.
“That was the most easy part of it, but how he was able to control the tempo and kick off. It was a very professional performance,” he said.
Hayes was non committal when asked whether the $55,000 late entry fee would be paid to allow Hard Kick to run in the $2 million Blue Diamond.
“We’ll keep the option open next week as he did win with his head on his chest there,” he said, “but there’s plenty of options going ahead with this horse. It’s very exciting.”
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.
“He was bought in the Sydney Ready To Race. Dad was representing the company and he was purchased for connections,” JD Hayes said.
Hard Kick became the 32nd individual stakes winner from 857 runners for All Too Hard, who also won the Talindert, in 2012.
He also added to the burgeoning broodmare sire CV of Exceed And Excel (Danehill), which was further enhanced by the victory later in the day of Tentyris (Street Boss) in the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (Gr 1, 1000m).
The powerfully built bay has a relatively modest pedigree page. He’s the fifth and latest foal of Friendly Donna (Exceed And Excel), who was unplaced in five runs in country NSW.
Second dam Donna Intelligente (Dehere) was a three-time winner – all in Sydney – and a half-sister to Sydney Group 3 winner Burning Sands (Marju) and a Malaysia stakes victor.
Exceed And Excel entered Saturday sitting second on the Australian broodmare sires’ table between two other Danehill sons in Fastnet Rock and Redoute’s Choice, having recorded a personal best finish of third in 2023.
All Too Hard covered a bumper book of 154 mares at a reduced $27,500 last spring in his 13th stud season.