Enterprising ride helps Hayes to 20/1 winner

Chris Hayes ploughed a lone furrow racing alongside Gowran's inside railing on 20/1 winner Dusty Winds in the Xenon Security Handicap (div II) today, later opining the ground to be 'the same everywhere'.

Unplaced in ten previous outings, the Pat Murphy trained son of Lord Shanakill was held up in rear and while the riders on the other 15 runners elected to come stands' side in the home straight, Hayes stayed on the inside, poached ground. Pimstrel held a narrow lead with over a furlong to race but Dusty Winds finished stronger, and beat that rival by 1.75L

Hayes later reported “that was a bit of a surprise. They went flat out and it suited a closer. I probably handled the ground better than most.

“The reason I went in (to the far rail) was I was drawn low and didn’t see the sense in me dragging across to the far side. The ground is the same everywhere in my opinion.”

Quotes from Alan Magee