Blue Diamond triumph a true family affair for Hayes
DAVID Hayes has claimed a sixth Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield yesterday with brilliant filly Catchy, but says winning it with his family makes the victory even sweeter.
Hayes trained five winners of Melbourne’s premier twoyear-old race under his own name, but yesterday’s win was his first in partnership with son Ben and nephew Tom Dabernig.
Dabernig joined Hayes in an official training capacity in 2014, with Ben joining the team in 2016.
“Winning it on your own is terrific but it’s still a team effort,” Hayes said. “This one is an acknowledged team effort.” Ridden by Craig Williams, Catchy ($4.80) charged home to overhaul $4 favourite Pariah to win by a long neck, with Formality ($9) 1-3/4 lengths away in third.
The Lindsay Park stable saddled six juveniles in yesterday’s race, with Catchy leading home the team ahead of Formality, Tulip (fourth), Muraahib (sixth), Wait For No One (seventh) and Will’s Bid (13th).
“It’s quite a relief,” Hayes said. “I thought I was going to run second, third and fourth at one stage but she was sensational in the last 100 metres.
“On the turn I thought Formality would be in the finish but I was thinking Pariah had us covered.”
After an agonising choice of which two-year-old to ride, Williams was vindicated in picking Catchy, which has provided him with his first Blue Diamond success. Apart from Catchy, Williams also had the choice of Property, which finished fifth, and Property who was a race-eve scratching.
He said the filly reminded him of Miss Finland, the Golden Slipper winner of 2006 and who had run second in the Blue Diamond behind Nadeem in the lead-up. Williams said he had placed a lot of pressure on Catchy but also had the confidence in the filly.