Hayes was just as delighted by the strong performances he witnessed within 40 minutes of each other from Able Friend in the Mile and Designs On Rome, as he is about to take over the training of Dibayani, the only four-year-old who had been any sort of match for those horses last season.
He was beaten by just a length in the Derby, and had they not been there, he won it by five lengths.
"After he bled in his first-up run this season, the owner Robert Ng [Chee-siong] wanted to move him to Australia, so I could train him out on the farm at Euroa," Hayes said.
"I've had horses for him before, both in Hong Kong and in Australia and he's sending me
Dibayani and Mizani.
"I remember getting quite a few horses bleeding when I trained in Hong Kong, but it isn't an issue on the farm at home. Touch wood, our horses never seem to bleed in that environment, we just don't get bleeders, so it should suit Dibayani.