A number of promising three-year-old fillies that could take on the boys in next month’s Australian Guineas take to the Caulfield track on CF Orr Stakes Day in the Kevin Hayes Stakes 2017.
Jennifer Lynn is one of the key 2017 Kevin Hayes Stakes fillies at Caulfield on Saturday racing in the Australian Guineas lead-up. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
Running as Caulfield Race 5 at 2:50pm (AEDT), this season’s $150,000 Group 3 Kevin Hayes Stakes (1200m) field has attracted 13 hopefuls.
Heading the early Kevin Hayes Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au paying $3.80 for the win is the consistent Lindsay Park-trained Star Witness filly Fuhryk.
Craig Williams comes aboard for the ride from gate six aboard the three-time winner who was last seen running under a length away fourth in the Inglis Dash (1100m) at Flemington on January 28.
Fuhryk is up in stakes class for the first time, but is being kept safe in betting as she stakes her claims for a possible March 4 run at Flemington in the $750,000 Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m).
The shortest-priced of the Kevin Hayes Stakes fillies in pre-field Australian Guineas betting at Ladbrokes.com.au is the Darren Weir-trained Jennifer Lynn.
The progressive daughter of High Chaparral is at $4.40 occupying the second line of Kevin Hayes Stakes betting on Saturday as she runs for the second time this prep.
First-up she was second at Flemington beaten a half-length in a set weights plus penalties race for fillies under 58.5kg.
Damian Lane comes aboard in place of Brad Rawiller in the Kevin Hayes, Jennifer Lynn also down to 58kg.
She won three on the trot during the spring including a black-type on Melbourne Cup Day over 1400m and also placed third to Morton’s Fork in the Group 2 Sandown Guineas (1600m) so has plenty of class and ability over more metres.
Along with the favourite Fuhryk the Lindsay Park team, led by David Hayes, has also accepted for Zunbaqa who is in gate four with Regan Bayliss to ride.
A winner of four of her seven career runs so far, the More Than Ready filly hasn’t raced since a failed 10th when second last past the post in the Listed Poseidon Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on October 2 last year.
She pays $5 as the third elect to return to winning form in the Kevin Hayes Stakes.
The other single-figure fancy at $9.50 for Saturday’s Group 3 is Love Conquers All filly Savanna Amour for Brisbane-based trainers John & Chris Meagher.
Saturday marks the first Caulfield run for the Brisbane raider who ran 1.5 lengths away seventh in the Inglis Dash in Melbourne last time out.
Other notable hopes include the Robbie Griffiths-trained Group 3 winner Selenia, Colin Little’s last start Flemington winner over Jennifer Lynn Navagio and the in-form Mick Price-trained Special Diva chasing her third straight summer win.
Check out the full Kevin Hayes Stakes 2017 field, barriers and jockeys below along with the latest Fixed Win odds provided by Ladbrokes.com.au who are offering $1.80 on Winx to win the Apollo Stakes in Sydney on Saturday (max bet $25 / T&Cs apply).
