Valley run has hayes confident
BEN Hayes says a times comparison suggesting Moonee Valley Cup winner Ventura Storm would have run a competitive race in this year’s Cox Plate has given the Lindsay Park team extra confidence headed into tomorrow’s Melbourne Cup.
The six-year-old broke the 2500m track record at the Valley last week, clocking 2min 34.37 sec and bettering The United States’ previous mark of 2min 34.43 sec.
“We are thrilled with him,” Hayes said. “They did some time and if he had run in the Cox Plate (2040m), he would have run second to Winx. They are good times to be running.
“He has come out of the race nice and sound and we did a nice piece of work with him on Friday morning and Mark Zahra said he gave him a really good feel.”
Hayes, who is chasing his first Melbourne Cup, as part of his partnership with his father David and cousin Tom Dabernig, is confident the stable has been able to iron out some of the issues after Ventura’s 21st placing in last year’s Melbourne Cup, beaten more than 30 lengths.
“A lot has changed since this time last year – he’s had a wind operation and he has been gelded,” Hayes said. “We’ve also learnt that he needs some extra work put into him. We were a bit soft on him leading into the (2017) race.”
Ventura Storm is one of three Cup runners for prominent Melbourne owner Rupert Legh, who also has Vengeur Masque and Sound Check in the race.
“We have three good chances, and fingers crossed one of them can get up,” Legh said.
— Glenn McFarlane