Catchy pick of Oakleigh Plate trio: Hayes

Blue Diamond Stakes winner Catchy will try to win another Caulfield G1 in the Oakleigh Plate.

Wind the clock back 12 months and the Lindsay Park training establishment was celebrating an autumn Group One double.

Catchy won the Blue Diamond Stakes for two-year-olds and 40 minutes later Sheidel took out the Oakleigh Plate.

Both are owned by Robert Crabtree and his wife Sylvie and on Saturday at Caulfield the pair front up against each other in the Group One Oakleigh Plate in which they will be joined by Fuhryk.

Senior Lindsay Park trainer David Hayes has a slight leaning towards Catchy in the 1100m race.

“Catchy’s one of my favourites,” Hayes said.

“That’s not knocking my other two but I think Catchy is one that could be an elite sprinter.”

Catchy hasn’t raced since finishing 18th behind Merchant Navy in the Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington during Melbourne Cup week.

It followed a third placing behind the “boys” in the Caulfield Guineas in October.

“She’s come back very well and she loves Caulfield,” Hayes said.

“We saw a great win last year and sometimes lightning strikes on the same day.

“It’s a very hard race the Oakleigh Plate but she’s in form and she’s been set for it.

“I think the barrier is ideal and I hope she finishes like Redkirk (Warrior) who ran down Redzel last week.

“She’s got the engine to do it.”

Hayes said Catchy would head to the Newmarket Handicap at Flemington on March 10 and then Sydney where he hopes to showcase her to slot holders in The Everest to be held later this year.

Catchy is on the third line of betting at $8.50 behind an easing $5 favourite Russian Revolution with Fuyryk at $15 and Sheidel at $19.

After Sheidel failed to get in foal during the spring the decision was made to give her another preparation.

“Sheidel is defending her championship and has trialled very well in private,” Hayes said.

Fuhryk is also resuming having finished second to Viddora in the Winterbottom Stakes at Ascot in December.

“Fuhryk has got similar form lines to Sheidel last year through the Winterbottom Stakes,” Hayes said.

“She was narrowly beaten and has come back from Perth absolutely flying, like a lot of horses do.

“She wouldn’t surprise me at all if she ran well.”