Making Hay tonight

The Group 1 Manikato Stakes (wfa, 1200m) at Moonee Valley on Friday night promises to continue the impressive run of star gallopers this spring.

Already we have seen last year’s Cox Plate winner So You Think take another step to greatness and the 2009 Melbourne Cup winner Shocking confirm that he is a stayer of the highest class, who could win the Cup again. In Sydney, More Joyous is so exciting that Gai Waterhouse has likened her to the great Sunline

And Hay List (pictured winning in Perth) has emerged as a sprinter every bit as good as some of the outstanding sprinters that have taken the world by storm in recent years.

Hay List is a horse of tremendous charisma. He is big animal with an enormous stride and scintillating turn of foot. He also is a work in progress, and still learning his craft under the care of trainer John McNair.

Hay List was awesome winning the Group 3 Ian McEwen Stakes (wfa, 1000m) at Moonee Valley at his recent start, so much so that Mark Kavanagh, who trained the runner-up Catalpulted, was still shaking his head in amazement after his horse Whobegotyou had won the Group 2 Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes. “I didn’t think any horse could run past Catapulted like that. He (jockey Glyn Scholfield) did even let him go,” Kavanagh said.

Not surprisingly, Catapulted is missing from the Manikato Stakes line-up. Kavanagh will be dodging Hay List from here on. “I hope John takes him to Hong Kong,” he said, tongue in cheek.

As good as Hay List is, and I expect him to win easily, I have great respect for three horses that will be chasing him home – Bart Cummings’ lightly-raced 4YO Latin News, the multiple Group 1 winner All Silent and the comeback horse Reward For Effort.

Latin News is held in very high regard by Cummings, and the reports from Flemington are that the horse is flying on the track. He has looked quite impressive working a couple of times at Moonee Valley as he prepared for his first-up run. Expect the chestnut to run a cheeky race at good odds.

All Silent will get back as usual, and he will come home hard. His chance depends on Reward For Effort, who will be a lot fitter than he was when third in the Ian McEwen, going hammer and tongs at Hay List in the first 600m.

Eagle Falls has a terrific record at Moonee Valley – winning three from four – but it is hard to see him having serious impact first up against this field.