Lindsay Park co-trainer David Hayes considers Keen Array to be well over the odds for the Listed $120,000 SAJ Fruit Supply Carlyon Stakes (1000m) at The Valley on Saturday.
Keen Array, above, can improve in the Carlyon Stakes at The Valley. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Keen Array resumed for a disappointing first up tenth of ten in the Group 3 $150,000 Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) at Sandown on August 6 and is currently posted at $11 for the Carlyon Stakes with Ladbrokes.com.au.
Hayes, who trains in partnership with his son Ben Hayes and nephew Tom Dabernig, has put the below par performance down to the heavy track conditions and is expecting a much improved Keen Array to step out on Saturday following some outstanding track work since his latest outing.
“He ran a shocker first up on that really heavy track at Sandown,” Hayes said.
“Ran well in this race last year and could be well over the odds because his track work has been exceptional in the last ten days.”
Keen Array has drawn awkwardly at barrier ten with Mark Zahra taking over the reins from Regan Bayliss and the Bel Esprit five year old will be wearing the winkers again.
Keen Array is the winner of six of his eighteen starts and was Group 1 placed as a three year old when second to Japonisme in the $500,000 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington during the 2015 Melbourne Spring Carnival.
The Mathew Ellerton and Simon Zahra trained Heatherly heads the market order for the Carlyon Stakes at $2.30 at Ladbrokes.com.au ahead of Darren Weir’s promising sprinter Speedeor at $6 and the Robbie Laing trained Missrock at $7.
