The three-year-old swept past leader Theresabearinthere with 150 m to go and dashed away for its second win, saluting at $4.40 by half-a-length from Diesel'N'Dust to win the Jockey Celebration Day Handicap.
Hard Landing, by All Too Hard from Snitzerland, showed bucket loads of potential on debut when he won the Group Three Maribyrnong Plate on Oaks Day in November, but sickness caused him to be spelled after a disappointing run in February.
Ben Hayes, who co-trains the horse with Tom Dabernig, said the win was a reminder of the horse's genuine ability.
“He's a lightly raced two-year-old because he got really sick after his last run,” Hayes said.
“He had to have a big dose of antibiotics and we really looked after him.
“But he's come back fantastic, he's matured into himself, grown up over the hind. It's fantastic to see him win like that.
“He looked like he handled The Valley pretty well today, so that will be his next progression.”
It was an otherwise quiet day for Hayes and Dabernig, although they did notch a second in the third race of the day as Wide Awake fell just 0.2 lengths short of winner Miss Divine Em.
Euroa's Lindsay Park stable recently claimed the 2019-20 Victorian Metropolitan Trainers’ Premiership, a remarkable 27th time it has picked up the award.
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