Trainers Ben, Will and JD Hayes are keen to raise the bar to black-type level with Evaporate after the Kiwi-bred gelding extended his winning sequence to three in a row in Saturday’s A$150,000 Ladbrokes Own Spring Handicap (1600m) at Moonee Valley.
The son of Per Incanto was a maiden winner at Cranbourne on August 1, then added a three-length victory in a three-year-old handicap at Moonee Valley on August 24. He returned to the same venue again on Saturday, where he was lumbered with a 60kg topweight but again produced a super-impressive performance.
Ridden by Michael Dee, Evaporate settled in second before cruising forward and taking command before the home turn.
The result was in no doubt from there, with Evaporate kicking away down the straight to win by two and three-quarter lengths from the fellow Kiwi-bred Stylish Secret.
Ben Hayes believes Evaporate is emerging as one of Lindsay Park’s brightest three-year-old prospects this season.
“He’s getting up there now,” he said. “It’s very hard to win three in a row with two city races.
“I think he improved again, he did everything right today. He was able to cross, he got into a lovely rhythm and Michael rode him beautifully.
“He got rolling into the bend and won convincingly hands and heels, which is always very exciting to see. I think he’s an exciting horse going forward. He still has a little bit more improvement to come, so hopefully we can see that his next couple of runs.
“In three weeks’ time there’s the Stutt Stakes (Gr.2, 1600m), that would be the ideal race to head towards and that’s a traditional lead-up to a Caulfield Guineas (Gr.1, 1600m).
“The dream is alive at the moment, so we’ve just got to get him there and he’ll be a nice chance.”
Dee has no doubt that Evaporate can measure up against even better opposition.
“I think that was certainly his best performance to date and he’s only improving each time he steps out,” he said. “Every time he’s raced, he’s only got better. He’s racing a lot more tractably now and he’s sustaining a really long gallop, so the way he’s going, you’ll definitely find him in better races.”
Evaporate has now had seven starts for three wins, two placings and A$214,125 in stakes.
He was bred by Little Avondale Stud and is one of 399 winners from 604 runners for the stud’s flagship stallion Per Incanto.
The dam of Evaporate is the unraced Animal Kingdom mare Savanna, whose half-sister Belluci Babe has been a multiple Group winner in Australia in the Little Avondale colours. Both of Savanna’s two foals to race have been winners.
Evaporate was bought by Lindsay Park Racing for A$330,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in 2023. – NZ Racing Desk.
