Article – Racing.com
Ben Hayes has given Mr Brightside an A+ report following his Benalla trial win on Monday morning.
Craig Williams made the trip for the 1000-metre hit-out in which the four-time Group 1 winner defeated Saint Bathans by three-quarters of a length.
“That’s very typical of him,” Hayes, who trains in partnership with his brothers JD and Will, said of the trial.
“He is a little bit on the lazy side, which it what we’ve always said about him, we’ve never been confident with him going into a race because he leaves it for race day.
“But we were very happy, Craig just let him balance and got him to the outside and took him through his paces and on the line, he had his ears pricked and just did what he had to.
“It was exactly what we wanted and will tighten him up nicely.
“Going a month between runs, I think it was just a good hit-out just under two weeks from his race and we wanted a good gallop in company and doing it in a trial is probably the best way to do it more like pressure.”
WATCH: Craig cam footage of Mr Brightside winning his Benalla trial
The Memsie and Makybe Diva Stakes winner will head into the $5 million King Charles III Stakes at Randwick on October 14 fourth-up before tackling the 2040 metres again of the Cox Plate.
Hayes said Mr Brightside, who is $2.50 favourite with Sportsbet for the King Charles, will have his final piece of work on Monday morning before heading to Sydney.
“He has done very well between runs … he has been back to the farm and he has been out in the paddocks getting his head down and is holding his condition beautifully,” Hayes said.
“You wouldn’t think he is deep into a prep and as we’ve always said he really thrives as he gets into his prep and is doing it again.
“Going into his first-up run he was very hairy and second-up he improved a bit in the coat but still hairy and third-up his coat wasn’t quite there but was probably the best win he’s done in his career.
“Even Craig commented he’s starting to dapple up and ready to peak fourth-up and last preparation fourth-up he was able to win a Doncaster.
“He is ready to go.”
The stable is yet to decide if Mr Brightside will front up on Champions Day at Flemington in either the Champions Mile or Champions Stakes, before a potential trip to Hong Kong in December.