Time for ‘flying’ Tulip to bloom among top youngsters

TULIP is giving every indication on the training track she is ready to fire first-up in the Group 3 Kevin Hayes Stakes at Caulfield.

Today’s 1200m race for fillies shapes as an intriguing contest on a big program at Caulfield, with Group 1 winner Shoals, Group 2 winner Booker and other well-cre- dentialed fillies making their returns in the field of nine.

Shoals is the $3.80 favourite, ahead of Tulip at $4.20.

Co-trainer Ben Hayes said Tulip appeared to have come back in fantastic order.

“She looks to be flying,” Hayes said.

“Her trial was excellent down the straight at Flemington the other day.”

Tulip won her 800m-Flemington jump-out in the quickest time of the morning’s heats with race jockey Kerrin McEvoy aboard.

Although Tulip has only won two of her 10 starts, she has earned more than $800,000 prize money.

“Hopefully she can get a couple more wins under her belt and get her confidence up,” Hayes said.

“She’s an excellent sprinter when we get her going.”

Tulip will be chasing her first win since the Group 3 Magic Night Stakes 11 months ago.

The three-year-old’s spring campaign included a fifth placing in the $10 million Everest (1200m) at Randwick against the country’s best sprinters at weight-for-age.

In Lindsay Park’s weekly online update, fellow trainer Tom Dabernig rated Tulip the horse he believed to be the stable’s best chance from a host of runners this weekend.