Return to Caulfield suits Nicolini Vito

The Lindsay Park stable of Ben and J D Hayes is again looking forward to seeing Nicolini Vito racing around a bend.

After a first-up performance down the straight at Flemington on July 1 in which Nicolini Vito finished fifth, the gelding returns to Caulfield on Saturday to run in the Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes (1200m).

It will be Nicolini Vito’s first run back at Caulfield since finishing second to Gravina in the Listed Caulfield Village Stakes (1200m) last October.

Nicolini Vito has had three runs at Caulfield for a win, a second and a sixth to I Wish I Win over 1400m last August while his win at the track was over 1600m.

As Nicolini Vito has got older, Lindsay Park has kept the gelding to shorter trips between the 1200m and 1400m range.

J D Hayes conceded Nicolini Vito will require a ‘Damien Oliver special’ to overcome barrier nine on Saturday, but added there is probably no-one riding in better form than the champion jockey.

“He has really come on from his first-up run and I think he’ll be much better for it,” Hayes said.

“He is a better horse around a corner, and he loves Caulfield, so he ticks a few boxes, plus Damien Oliver knows him well.

“Daniel Stackhouse, who has been riding him and is the leading rider this season, is out suspended so Damien goes back on, and we certainly won’t lose anything there.”

While the Hayes brothers are looking forward at trying to capture the final Melbourne Stakes race of the 2022-23 season, there was a touch of spring in the air at the Flemington jump-outs on Friday morning.

The best horse in the Lindsay Park team, All Star Mile and dual Doncaster Handicap winner Mr Brightside, had his first jump-out ahead of his racing return.

Mr Brightside is being prepared for the Group 1 Cox Plate and Hayes said the gelding did what was expected of him in Friday’s hit-out.

Hayes said Mr Brightside would have another jump-out on the Flemington course proper on August 7 ahead of his return run in the Group 2 PB Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 19.