STATUE MAKING HAY

With the covering season imminent, Statue of Liberty is putting his best hoof forward by recording some excellent results with progeny on the weekend.

The unbeaten Hay List (see below) continued on his merry way at Belmont on Saturday (1 August), while Shane Fliedner’s Liberty’s Way (from Majuscule mare Lady’s Way) showed them the way at Bendigo with a fighting win at Bendigo (2 August).

But all eyes were focused out West and Perth Racing summed up the victory of Hay List thus:

One of the joys of thoroughbred racing is watching the really good horses in action, particularly when they have the size and presence of Hay List, the strapping son of Statue Of Liberty, who demoralized his rivals in the perthracing.comau Handicap (1000m) at Belmont today.

His trainer Jimmy Taylor has always known that Hay List is something special and his confidence pre race was extremely high, considering he had missed two crucial barrier trials.

God only help his opposition if missing the trials did affect his performance, because if he was susceptible today then how will anything beat him in the future.

Hay List (from Is It True mare Sing Hallelujah) was a little fractious in the barriers and missed the start slightly before motoring through along the rails to easily lead Miss Timed and Bull Durham and that was the race: only the margin between first and second was ever increasing as the race progressed.

Taylor has no hesitation in declaring Hay List the best horse he has trained and one look at this robust beast in the yard pre post should have sent punters scrambling to find their nearest bookie.

Sure he may have looked like the run would tighten him up, but the immense size and power emanating out of his huge hind quarters promised a power packed performance and that was what he delivered.

Miss Timed was gallant and held on well for second and Bull Durham again showed his durability, earning good prize money after making the long trek from Esperance.

Taylor has indicated that he would race Hay List through his classes here in Perth, but do not be surprised to see him racing in Melbourne sometime this year.

What they said : “He had completed plenty of long work in the sand but missing the trials meant that that he could have been a bit ring rusty. But they were never going to beat him.”

Taylor said post race : “He is the best I have trained and there is plenty of improvement left in him.”