Promising New Zealand-bred filly Chase Your Dreams will test her talent against the boys on Saturday when she lines-up in the Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m) at Eagle Farm.
Trainers Ben, JD and Will Hayes believe the timing of the race is better for the daughter of Contributer than the Gr.1 Queensland Oaks (2200m) a week later, and they think she is up to the task.
Purchased out of Beckam Equine’s 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 2 Yearling Sale draft by Patella Bloodstock for $40,000, Chase Your Dreams has won three and placed in four of her nine career starts to date for the Hayes brothers, including a last-start runner-up performance in the Gr.3 SA Fillies Classic (2500m) at Morphettville.
"We just felt that it would be a month (between runs), which was a bit awkward and there wasn't a good place to take her to trial and we just didn't think we could keep the work up to her," Ben Hayes told Racing.com.
"We'd also be dropping back from 2500m to 2200, so the 2400m of the Derby should be ideal. Hopefully she can draw a barrier as she's really done well and travelled up well."
While pleased to attain black-type with his charge last start, Hayes said she wasn’t given any favours in the run.
“Just the way the race worked out, she couldn't get rolling when she wanted last start with the horse to her outside," he said.
"She just pulled that little bit as well and the three weeks with travel is perfect for her, so the Derby just came up at the perfect time."
The stable will also be hunting Group One glory at Eagle Farm with fellow Kiwi-bred Rise At Dawn, who will tackle the Kingsford Smith Cup (1300m) fresh-up after forgoing his planned first run in Queensland.
"He travelled well but not as well as we would have liked, so we just thought the extra week would be better for him and we're glad because he's bouncing this morning and is really happy and well and eating up," Hayes said.
Bred by the Smithies family’s Monovale Holdings, Rise At Dawn was purchased by Lindsay Park for A$90,000 at the Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale, and has won eight of his 15 starts, including the Listed Heatherlie Stakes (1700m) and Listed The Elms Handicap (1400m), and earned more than A$800,000 in prizemoney.