David Hayes’ affection for the Australian Guineas runs deeper than his 2007 win in the race with Miss Finland. Hayes was foreman for his father Colin when the Victoria Racing Club inaugurated the race.
Trainer Angus Armanasco and jockey Darren Gauci combined to win the maiden running with True Version before a period when Colin Hayes dominated, coinciding with the race’s upgrade to Group 1 status. He won with Military Plume in 1987 and although Jack Denham scored with Flotilla the following year, Hayes won again in 1989 and 1990 with King's High and Zabeel respectively.
Superstar geldings Mahogany and Apache Cat have won the Australian Guineas, but the race has fulfilled the VRC’s hopes of it becoming renowned as a maker of stallions. Flying Spur, Pins, Reset, Al Maher, Dash For Cash and Delago Brom have all carved out successful careers at stud off the back of Australian Guineas success. Miss Finland became the first filly to upstage the males since Triscay in 1991. Other notable winners of the race include Shamus Award, Hey Doc, Grunt, Mystic Journey and Alligator Blood.
There have been many memorable clashes and, while it's nearly impossible to whittle the Guineas honour roll to just three stand-out winners, there were few more interesting than Zabeel (1990), Mahogany (1994) and Reset (2004).
A top-class colt, Zabeel won the Moonee Valley Stakes in the spring of 1989 and then The Debonair at Flemington in 1990, just a fortnight before the Guineas, in which he started $3.50 favourite. In this memorable run, he thrashed Ark Regal, Academien and Stylish Century by three lengths before going on to win the Alister Clark Stakes and the Craiglee Stakes in the following spring.
