Hatch hopes Sayl can give him a maiden Toowoomba Cup

By Glenn Davis

Mackay Cup winner Sayl didn’t exactly cover himself in glory with a last start failure in the Doomben Mile but trainer Lindsay Hatch is forgiving as he looks for a maiden Toowoomba Cup victory on Saturday.

Sayl was part of a small team Hatch sent north for the central and northern winter carnivals and the big grey returned with a near last to first win in the Mackay Cup over 2000 metres in July.

He wrapped up his northern campaign by finishing third to Rockhampton stayer Namazu in last month’s Townsville Cup.

The UK import, who was formerly trained in Sydney by Chris Waller, blotted his record on his return when he failed to beat a runner home in a field of nine behind Tumbler Ridge in the Doomben Mile on September 10.

“I’ve always known there’s two Sayl’s but since he’s been with me, I’ve never had a problem with him,” Hatch said.

“But, I can’t answer what went wrong in the Doomben Mile.

“He didn’t want to go into the barriers and his rider Michael Cahill said the track was a bit choppy for him.

“I’m putting the run behind us and we’re playing on.

“He’s only got to repeat his Townsville Cup run and he’ll be very hard to beat.”

Hatch has only had one attempt at a home town Toowoomba Cup win but came up short when Transporter finished 11th to the Desleigh Forster-trained Cylinder Beach in 2017.

The Toowoomba Cup has always been on the radar for Sayl, who has started 47 times for seven wins and 16 placings.

Hatch can claim credit for three of Sayl’s wins and is confident the seven-year-old can give him a fourth victory for the stable in the Toowoomba Cup.

“I’ve never won the Toowoomba Cup but I’ve got a good chance this year with Sayl,” he said.

Hatch’s northern winter campaign was so successful that he’s taken on the training duties for prominent Townsville owner John Horan. 

Hatch will soon open a satellite stable at Cluden Park. 

“I’ve been given a fantastic opportunity to train for John,” Hatch said.

“It’s very exciting and Martin Haley, who has worked for me for a few years and took four of my horses up for the carnivals, will be in charge in Townsville.

“There’s a lot of merit training up north and a great opportunity to train for John.”