Racing: Helmet caps off great season for Darley team of juveniles

The Darley team captured the Sydney 2-year-old triple crown at Randwick on Saturday but not before a wayward Helmet almost threw away the Champagne Stakes.

The $5.50 favourite led the field up and was well clear when he reacted to the whip and ducked out sharply inside the final 200m.

The colt shifted out abruptly in front of the chasing pack, including runner-up Pane In The Glass, but had enough in hand and was getting away again to win by a length on the line, with Fast And Sexy two lengths further back in third.

Jim Byrne, rider of Pane In The Glass, fired in a protest but his objection was dismissed with chief steward Ray Murrihy placing the objection in the "very optimistic category".

Trainer Peter Snowden has trained the winner of all four group one races for 2-year-olds so far this season, with Sepoy winning the Blue Diamond and Golden Slipper.

Helmet's Champagne Stakes (1600m) success added to his win in the Sires' Produce Stakes (1400m) two weeks earlier, with Kerrin McEvoy in the saddle for all four big-race wins.

Snowden was delighted to have claimed the triple crown [Slipper, Sires, Champagne] but disappointed Helmet didn't his true talent.

Byrne told stewards his momentum was halted on Pane In The Glass, who added a second in the Champagne to her third in the Sires' Produce Stakes.

McEvoy said in hindsight he probably should have left Helmet alone and ridden him hands and heels to the line.

"Last time he didn't do anything wrong though and I took him on trust a bit today," he said.

A Sydney Cup fall cost Glyn Schofield a group one win on Hay List as Glen Boss filled in on the star sprinter who toyed with his opposition in the All-Aged Stakes.

Schofield suffered a suspected broken collarbone a race earlier when he fell from Hawk Island.

The jockey was replaced on Hay List and Boss labelled the hulking gelding "as good a sprinter as I've ever ridden" after he led all the way to win the weight-for-age contest by 3 lengths.

"He felt unbelievable underneath me, he's a genuine superstar.

"He felt like as good a sprinter as I've ever ridden and that just goes to show what a great mare Peter Moody has got in Black Caviar."

Hay List kicked away in the TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) two weeks earlier only to have Black Caviar reel him in and then extend away to defeat him by 2 lengths.

There was no Black Caviar in sight at Randwick on Saturday and Hay List took the heavy conditions and rise to 1400m in his stride as he streaked away to his second group one success.

Trainer John McNair said it was a deserved victory for the second-best sprinter in the land, but he also felt for Schofield who had ridden Hay List in eight of his nine starts since the gelding arrived in the east from Perth last year.

Boss bounced Hay List to the front and he was unchallenged with Melito just behind him in the run ahead of Alverta and Shoot Out.

Once he topped the rise, Boss let Hay List go and he put his rivals away. The Moody-trained Hinchinbrook led a chasing pack with Heart Of Dreams a half-head back in third. The Goodwood (1200m) in Adelaide on May 8 is expected to be Hay List's next assignment providing transport arrangements allow McNair to get him there.

He hasn't ruled out going to Singapore for the KrisFlyer International Sprint (1200m) on May 22.

- AAP