The Group 3 C S Hayes Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on Saturday is named after the brothers' grandfather Colin Hayes, a Hall of Fame trainer, who created the original Lindsay Park in South Australia and won countless trainers' premierships in Melbourne and Adelaide.
Since being renamed the C S Hayes Stakes in 2008, the Lindsay Park team under David Hayes and then when he was in partnership Tom Dabernig and later Ben Hayes, success has been denied.
Tony Mcevoy, a longtime employee with Lindsay Park, won the C S Hayes Stakes with Hey Doc in 2017, but by that time had branched out on his own and was training at the old Lindsay Park establishment at Angaston in South Australia before his move to Ballarat.
That is not to say Lindsay Park has gone winless over the history of the race, scoring with Zabeel, Mcbrave and Rullene when the race was known as The Debonair in the 1990's.
"It would be nice to win the race, and it would be huge for the stable to win it," Ben Hayes said.
"It's a race my dad tried to win for many years.
"It's named after our grandfather who was a legendary horse trainer, so it would mean a lot to the Hayes family."
The Lindsay Park team will this year be represented by Ndola which is owned in partnership by Lindsay Park as well as the Devitt and Gordon families, longtime clients of the Hayes'.
Unfortunately, Ndola has drawn the widest barrier 16, in the capacity field from the 1400m start.
The Hayes brothers have a lot of time for Ndola and considered him a potential Caulfield Guineas horse last preparation.
Ndola has had one run back from a break, finishing last at Sandown, beaten three-and-a-half lengths behind C S Hayes favourite Royal Insignia.
Hayes expects Ndola to show improvement on Saturday, despite the draw.
"He went into his first run really underdone off one trial," Hayes said.
"He didn't have a smooth run going into his first-up run and he's improved heaps out of the run."
