First Five is the home-track hero trying to defend Kiwi sprinting pride at Te Rapa tomorrow. Photo / Kenton Wright
The trainer with the best inside knowledge ahead of tomorrow’s $500,000 BCD Sprint says tempo could decide the race.
And the lack of blazing early speed in the Group 1 feature could help his less-favoured rep, Arkansaw Kid.
Ben Hayes is the Victorian trainer who, along with his brothers Will and J.D. Hayes, train both defending BCD champion Here To Shock and Arkansaw Kid.
They come off very different starts to 2026, with Here To Shock having not raced since failing in the Supernova at Pakenham on December 13, while Arkansaw Kid was a brave last-start second to Jigsaw in the Railway at Ellerslie on January 24.
Here To Shock destroyed his Kiwi rivals – including Savaglee, who is back for tomorrow – in the BCD last year after sitting outside the leader and exploding clear.
“He has the better 1400m record out of the two of them, whereas Arkansaw Kid has sometimes struggled in the last 50m of 1400m races,” Hayes told the Herald.
“So on that front, Here To Shock is possibly the better chance but he did get beaten in the Supernova ths season whereas this time last year, he was coming into this race a last-start winner of the Supernova.
“So while Here To Shock may be the more natural 1400m horse, Arkansaw Kid has been going great races and that might balance it out a bit.
“Obviously, we’d be thrilled for either of ours to win and they are both doing really, really well.
“But it is very hard to choose between them.”
Hayes says he likes barrier 1 for Here To Shock while Arkansaw Kid has the natural speed to get handy from barrier 7 and the stablemates controlling the speed could ultimately be the key to the race.
Because for all the class of Savaglee, Pier, First Five and Tomodachi, it is hard to remember a Group 1 sprint in New Zealand in recent years with fewer natural leaders.
That raises the scary scenario for the locals of the two Victorians sitting one-two in the running and then it is going to take something special to run them down.
“I don’t know some of the local form that well but if ours were both up there on the speed, that would suit us and if they happened to go a bit slower in the middle stages then that could help Arkansaw Kid,” Hayes said.
“So that tempo could be a real factor but we think both horses are going well enough to win.”
There is no shortage of genuine Group 1 quality among the locals, headed by home-track hero First Five and past New Zealand 2000 Guineas winners Pier and Savaglee.
First Five sat third before surging to his Telegraph victory last start but this is another step up but the Waikato and particularly Te Rapa faithful will make a right racket if he can wear down the Aussies.
Pier showed in Australia last year he is up to winning this and he looked big, bold and ready enough in his recent trial and Te Rapa track gallop last week, but with that increased size and bulk comes the slightest concern he could be even better for the run.
Savaglee has been very patiently handled by trainer Pam Gerard in his long build-up to tomorrow’s race and it would be the training performance of the season if he could beat this field fresh-up.
The perceived lack of tempo in the race could play against sit-and-swoop types Tomodachi and Platinum Attack, while three-time Group 1 winner Provence will improve on her last-start unplaced effort at Ellerslie, but will need to.
What: Waikato racing’s most stacked meeting of the season.
Where: Te Rapa, Hamilton
When: Saturday, first race 12.40pm
Highlights: $700,000 Herbie Dyke Stakes, $500,000 BCD Group Sprint, $350,000 Sir Patrick Hogan Karāpiro Classic, $275,000 Legacy Lodge Waikato Guineas, $275,000 Ellis Classic.
Special feature: Retired greats Mufhasa, Xcellent, Sir Slick, Start Wondering, Royal Performer, True Enough, Waisake, Catalyst and champion jumper Tallyho Twinkletoe to parade on track.
Can I go: Yes, and entry is free.
Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990. He became the Herald’s Racing Editor in 1995 and covers the world’s biggest horse racing carnivals.