Euroa’s Lindsay Park Racing announced Mr Brightside would be spelled following a memorable spring and won’t be sent to tackle the bright lights of Hong Kong.
Ben, Will and JD Hayes have decided against sending the talented six-year-old gelding overseas and instead opted for the lush paddocks at their Euroa property in preparation for an assault on the autumn races.
The Hayes partnership released a statement via social media.
“After discussions with the team, we have decided Mr Brightside will head straight to the paddock for a well deserved break and won't be going to Hong Kong for the international races,” it read.
“We look forward to Mr B returning for his autumn campaign and are so proud of all he has achieved this spring.”
The past three months will be long remembered as the preparation that cemented Mr Brightside as one of Australia’s top talents.
A win first-up in the Group Two P.B Lawrence (1400m) was followed by back-to-back Group One wins in the Memsie Stakes (1400m) and Makybe Diva (1600m).
The next three runs in the campaign, all at G1 level, delivered consecutive runner-up finishes — including that incredible Cox Plate second.
Speculation that the four-time Group One winner would head overseas ramped up following the Cox Plate run, however, in good news for Australian racing fans and pundits the champion miler will stay Down Under.
Mr Brightside finished off his spring campaign with a second in the G1 Champions Mile at the weekend.
In other racing news, the Hayes team will be saddling up Ersa in Saturday’s G1 Thousand Guineas and Crosshaven in the G1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes at Caulfield.
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