David Hayes creeps closer to championship leader John Size

By Michael Cox 

David Hayes paused to reflect on his changing fortunes after a big day breathed life into an end-of-season trainers championship showdown with fellow Australian John Size. 

Hayes came to the races trailing Size by nine wins in the standings with 16 meetings remaining in the season but victories to Oriental Smoke, Solid Shalaa and World Hero drew him to within six of the runaway leader. 

“There’s a chance, but it is still a big margin,” Hayes said of his hopes of a fairytale third title, more than 25 years since his last. “Basically, I need to keep going and John needs to stop.” 

For one steaming afternoon at Sha Tin that was exactly what happened as Size drew a blank – he was zero from seven – and Hayes’ horses ran as hot as the temperature. 

“It’s worth having a go and if I can’t win I definitely want to come second,” Hayes added. “You can always dream … If John doesn’t train a winner or two in the next two weeks and I can get a couple it could get interesting.” 

Size already holds the record for most championships but a 13th title at age 70 would be one of his greatest achievements after a disappointing 2023/24 season in which he trained 50 winners – the third lowest tally of his 23-season career – and finished seventh. 

Hayes lifted the championship trophy in 1997 and 1999 but when he first returned after 15 years away in 2020 his results looked nothing like the halcyon days when he attracted high-profile owners and regularly saddled-up multiple runners in feature races. 

The trainer’s previous achievements – including a host of feature race wins in Australia during his Australian Racing Hall of Fame career there  – seemingly counted for little in the fickle Hong Kong racing scene upon his return.

Hayes was losing horses to rival trainers at a rapid rate and it showed in his results with returns of 32, 36 and 34 wins in his first three seasons back. 

“I had a very strong team of young horses but they kept leaving the stable,” Hayes said. “I lost 40 horses in 18 months and that is almost career destroying.” 

The Australian, now 62, has obviously bounced back. Hayes had 47 winners last term and the likely Hong Kong horse of the year Ka Ying Rising and talented youngsters like Classic Cup winner Rubylot have kept him in the headlines. 

The three horses that won for Hayes yesterday were no superstars but the trainer said that it was the owner loyalty that allowed him to keep horses like them. 

“Luckily we have recovered and we are not losing horses now,” he said. “When a horse drops in class and moves it is horrendous for a trainer. The first year in Hong Kong for 80 per cent of horses is a blank and they end up at a rating where they start winning and often get back to their ratings. 

“You ride them all the way down (in ratings) and if they leave, that affects you. At the moment the ones that we are riding all the way down are staying, and that makes a very big difference.” 

Hayes made special mention of Oriental Smoke’s owner Mike Smith, ”an original”, who has stuck solid with the stable and reaped the rewards. 

“Mike supported me when I first trained here and I am very happy for him,” Hayes said. “The horse has now won more than nine million dollars.” 

As Hayes hit a half century of winners for the first time since 2004 he said that not only had the exodus of owners ended, he hinted that the tide had turned and the best was yet to come.

“The owners that I have are staying,” Hayes said. “And some of the big owners are coming back.”