Jac in the box for crack at the Lord

IN a stable renowned for precocious speedsters and durable money-spinners, Jacquinot Bay is suddenly Lindsay Park’s sentimental veteran.

At 10, he is the oldest horse in the care of David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig.

Elevated to that status by the retirement of fellow greybeard Extra Zero, who bowed out as an 11-year-old after 109 starts, Jacquinot Bay will today tackle the Listed Lord Stakes at Caulfield.

The fact the gelding is still competitive in black-type company is testament to skills of Lindsay Park staff and his original trainer, Guy Walter.

Walter died in 2014 — soon before Jacquinot Bay won the Lord Stakes the same year.

Jacquinot Bay will contest the 1700m feature today with Caulfield Cup-winning jockey Cory Parish in the saddle.

“He’s an old warhorse,” Ben Hayes said.

“He’s now the oldest horse in our yard and he just keeps putting in good runs. He’s a horse who keeps on thriving being in the stable and when he goes back to the farm we get him out in the paddock for a couple of hours during the day and he loves it.

“He’s like ‘Extra’. He loves being in training and is going really well and his piece of work at Flemington this week was excellent.

“He’s a very consistent horse and everyone loves him in the stable.”

Jacquinot Bay, who will have his 70th start in quest of a 14th win, is a TAB $7 chance behind Richard Laming’s Payroll ($2.50).

Lindsay Park will also chase Listed success with Keen Array in the Christmas Stakes (1200m). Keen Array won the Group 2 Gilgai Stakes at Flemington in the spring and has been freshened since a last-start sixth in the Kevin Heffernan Stakes at Sandown on November 18.

“He’s very fresh and hopefully he can run well,” Hayes said.