With cousins Tom Dabernig and Ben Hayes steering the ship, the stable produced five winners for the Melbourne Cup Carnival to claim the Bart Cummings award for the second year running, the prize for the most winners across the four-day extravaganza.
Among the five winners was another significant milestone, with the new co-training duo securing its first Group One as Personal flew home to win the VRC Oaks on Thursday.
A $6 chance, Personal copped a perfect ride from champion jockey Damien Oliver and saluted comfortably — and Ben Hayes was ecstatic to tick off the accomplishment.
“It's a huge thrill and I know Dad back in Hong Kong will be very excited,” Hayes said.
“We've been close with seconds in the Thousand Guineas and Caulfield Guineas, so this is a terrific result.
“It really means a lot to us at Lindsay Park and to train our first (Group One together) is a big thrill.
“She is an amazing horse. She was competitive over 1200 — she's a bit like Miss Finland.”
The Euroa-based operation added another winner on Saturday with Power Scheme claiming the Nova100 Trophy, while Fifty Stars came close to making it even more of a week to remember, running second in the Group One Mackinnon Stakes to Arcadia Queen.
On proving they could get the job done without David Hayes in the biggest week on the racing calendar, Dabernig said it had taken the usual team effort.
“We really targeted Cup week and by doing that we sacrificed the early spring a little to have our horses peaking for this week,” Dabernig said.
“It was a little frustrating as the spring progressed as there are always doubters out there who are trying to find a reason why it wouldn’t work, but we are so blessed to have such great facilities and staff that I was always confident we had the processes to get the job done.”
