"We nearly brought him over for the Karaka Million 2YO last year, but he has been set for this race since the Sandown Guineas (Gr.2, 1600m), where he was placed.
"It was Sir Peter's (Vela, part-owner) idea to come here, fully endorsed by the trainer, and it would be great if he could get some of his own dollars back."
While Hayes said it was hard to compare form between the two nations, he has a lot of respect for the field and is looking forward to a strong showing from his charge in the million dollar feature.
"The build-up has been uneventful, he has done everything right, so I will be very disappointed if he doesn't run a good race," he said.
"I think we have got a cracking race though, there are some outstanding opposition, so he will have to be on his best to get there.
"It is always hard when you are comparing form from different countries, but obviously the two Guineas winners have been very impressive.
"I think if he was racing in those races he would have been pretty competitive too, so it will be a good race and we are really excited and looking forward to it."
Long Leaf pleased his connections with his final hit-out on Tuesday and has since taken a quiet approach into tomorrow's meeting. – NZ Racing Desk
