Racing: Well-bred colt to make race debut

David Hayes. Photo / Wayne Drought

A colt from one of the best families in the Australian Stud Book is due to get his first chance to make his own racetrack impact on Saturday.

The David Hayes-trained Beluga Caviar, a 2-year-old by Redoute's Choice out of Scandinavia, is nominated to make his debut at Flemington.

Scandinavia is the dam of Helsinge, making her the grand-dam of unbeaten champion Black Caviar and multiple group one winner All Too Hard.

Scandinavia's other sons and daughters include group one winner Magnus and stakes winners Wilander, Arctic Flight and Scandiva.

Shin soreness has kept Beluga Caviar from making his race debut until late in his juvenile term, but Hayes is hoping he can post a late-season win before turning his attention to spring. He had a public barrier trial at Tatura last October but was then given a break because of his shin problems.

He was in line for an autumn campaign to aim at races such as the Blue Diamond Stakes, but Hayes again had to give him more time.

"He's had a couple of jump-outs at Flemington and done well recently. So I'm quite happy with him," Hayes said.

"I reckon he'll run well first-up and when he gets to 1400m he'll be very smart, I think."

Wilderness, a A$2.4 million ($2.6 million) yearling purchase and half-brother to Starspangledbanner, is also nominated for Saturday's 1200m juvenile race at Flemington but Hayes has accepted with the colt at Geelong tomorrow.

Wilderness had two starts earlier, finishing fourth in the VOBIS Gold Rush at Bendigo and eighth in the Pago Pago Stakes at Rosehill.

"I think he's going pretty good. He trialled well last time and ran below par, but I reckon you will find that was just immaturity," Hayes said.

Hayes is hoping both colts can win as 2-year-olds late in the season and progress towards a shot at the Caulfield Guineas.

Meanwhile, the trainer said Zululand was a couple of weeks off a trial. He won the Sires' Produce Stakes in Melbourne and rounded out his campaign with a fifth in the Sires' Produce Stakes in Sydney and second in the Champagne Stakes.