The middle of winter is not generally a launching pad to Coolmore Stud Stakes glory, but the Lindsay Park training team hopes it will be for Hard Kick.
The untapped gelding is on the cusp of kicking off a campaign that will be directed towards the prized $2 million Group 1 sprint for three-year-olds at Flemington on October 31.
The son of All Too Hard comfortably won an 800-metre Werribee jumpout last Friday, which followed a soft second placing in a Flemington jumpout two weeks earlier, and co-trainer Will Hayes is excited about getting him back to the races.
A brilliant winner of the Listed Talindert Stakes (1100m) on February 14 at his only start to date, Hard Kick will bring some class to Flemington’s final meeting of the season.
“We’re going to look at a 1000-metre option for two-year-olds down the straight on the 18th of July,” Hayes, who trains in partnership with brother Ben and JD, said.
“We’re very happy and glad that we erred on the side of caution by not exposing him to the back-up into the (Blue) Diamond, because it’s been the best thing for him going forward.
“I can’t fault him in the way he’s built up, he looks a better version of himself and I think his trial spoke for itself.
“His trial suggests that he’s right where we need him to be.”
Hard Kick occupies the $8 third line in Coolmore Stud Stakes futures markets, behind only Golden Slipper winner Guest House ($5) and untapped Ciaron Maher-trained colt The Next Episode ($6).
“It will be the traditional three-year-old path on the way towards a race like the Coolmore,” Hayes said.
“We do think he’s a horse that possesses incredible natural speed and we’re going to play to his strengths.”
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