Winx not on Hayes’ menu with Dibayani

Dibayani will continue his preparation in Sydney, but he will no longer be chasing Winx.

The gelding finished second to Winx in the 2016 Chipping Norton Stakes but the Lindsay Park stable bypassed this year’s ace on Saturday at Randwick because of the presence of the champion mare who duly won.

The imported Dibayani, who did his early racing in Ireland before a stint in Hong Kong, finished fourth behind Winx in the Apollo Stakes on February 13, the same position he filled in the corresponding race 12 months earlier.

Senior Lindsay Park trainer David Hayes has not given up hope of a successful Sydney campaign despite the gelding going winless in 14 Australian starts.

Hayes said Dibayani had returned to the stable’s property at Euroa in country Victoria following his Apollo Stakes performance and would head back to Sydney during the week.

He will run in the Ajax Stakes at Rosehill on March 11 before heading to The Doncaster Mile at Randwick on April 1.

In three Randwick 1600m attempts Dibayani has finished second on each occasion.

Along with his Chipping Norton placing, Dibayani was touched out by Hauraki in the Epsom last spring and then by Sense Of Occasion in the Villiers Stakes in December.

“The two races that he’s going for there’ll be no Winx which is a great relief,” Hayes said.

“She’s a little bit too good for him.

“He’s been beaten three times by Winx and ran second to Hauraki in an Epsom.

“It reads as good Doncaster form.”

After a light autumn campaign, Dibayani could head to Brisbane for the winter carnival.

“He races best on his Sydney leg and if he’s in form we could target some races in Brisbane with him,” Hayes said.

“He doesn’t race as well down here in Melbourne.”