Blinkers do the trick with Charlevoix

Saturday 24 June 2017, 3:12pm

The combination of jumping and wearing blinkers for the first time has enabled Charlevoix to record a strong win at Flemington.

Senior Lindsay Park trainer David Hayes said the stable had delayed adding blinkers to Charlevoix's race-day gear until he had raced over a staying trip this campaign.

After racing over 2500m at Flemington two weeks ago, Hayes said the time was right to put the blinkers on Charlevoix for Saturday's North East Region Handicap.

Ridden by Craig Williams, Charlevoix ($5) ran out a 1-1/2 length winner from Hursley ($6.50), with the Lindsay Park-trained Bullish Stock ($9.50) three-quarters of a length away in third.

Hayes explained he wanted to get a run into Charlevoix at a distance before adding blinkers, worried the gelding may over-race in the gear.

"Blinkers are an aid but can be really destructive on a stayer," Hayes said.

"I don't like putting them on the stayers until they get out to the distance a few times."

Charlevoix was having his fifth start for Lindsay Park after previously being prepared by Mick Kent at Cranbourne.

Hayes thought the gelding would be a Group Three stayer when he first arrived and will be set for the Bart Cummings (2500m) at Flemington in October.

Victory in the Bart Cummings gains the winner automatic entry into this year's Melbourne Cup.

Almandin won both races in 2016.

Hayes said Charlevoix and Bullish Stock would return to Flemington in two weeks time for the Banjo Paterson Series Final.

– AAP

Latest News

Prime Thoroughbreds - We have a Host of Leaders in our Team

Tuesday, 29 June 2021

Prime Thor­ough­bred’s cur­rent rac­ing team is putt­ing to­gether quite a re­cord. We have 22 hors­es that have raced in our team at pre­sent. Six­teen of th­ese are win­n­ers in­clud­ing the Stakes win­n­ing trio Ru­bisa­ki, Fituese and Xtreme­time with Miss Di­vine Em and Miss In Charge run­n­ing 4th in Stakes races. This sees a stakes win­n­er to win­n­er ra­tio of 18.75% with a stake’s per­formed to win­n­er ra­tio of 31.25%. Th­ese are ex­cep­tio­n­al fig­ures.   More »

Freedmans land maiden Group One win

Saturday, 27 February 2021

Un­der-rat­ed fil­ly For­bid­den Love has emerged as an au­tumn car­ni­val smokey with a bril­liant per­for­mance to win the Sur­round Stakes at Rand­wick.  More »

Capriccio completes Damian Lane treble

Saturday, 27 February 2021

In a big day for coun­try-trained hors­es, War­r­nam­bool fil­ly Capric­cio has tak­en out the In­glis Dash for Daniel Bow­man.  More »

More news headlines »