Trots Centre: Can Hayes' hot-headed hope have Maj moment?

Once the ignition’s lit Mark Hayes’ superbly bred three-year-old trotting project can be a hard horse to handle, but if he can get things right on Sunday it may just secure a golden Redwood Day ticket.

Igniting Stride’s drawn gate one in the first of three Haras Des Trotteurs Victoria Trotters Derby heats at Maryborough on Sunday, with three deep and talented fields hunting qualification for the $75,000 final on October 31.

The plum draw is the perfect opportunity for Hayes’ hopeful, a fast-starting little half-brother of Majestuoso who’s won three and placed seven times from his nine starts.

“He’s been running 57.5-second halves his last few, but he can be his own worst enemy,” Hayes said.

“This is a big step up in grade and he’s over the longer trip. If he settles OK he just likes to roll along and can run a slippery last half.”

But there are many ‘ifs’ for Hayes, with Igniting Stride a headstrong Peak gelding who the trainer/driver said had “been a real problem and we have a lot of arguments”.

Hayes breaks in "about 20 to 25” for owner Emilio Rossati each year, which then get farmed to various trainers for racing careers. Igniting Stride is an exception.

“No one wants him, so he’s stayed with me,” he said. “He does what he wants, he jumps and bucks. He’s not dangerous, just bad tempered.

“If he’s off the front row he just gets out and goes. There’s no off button. He’s got to learn to settle and to run the trip.”

He can also be fractious before the start, but when he has gotten away from a good draw he’s generally led and free-wheeled at the front, which has translated into three wins and two seconds at his last five starts.

They’re traits that draw a noteworthy comparison to his half-brother, Maestuoso, who’s the only other foal out of Monarchy dam Rosemaryz Luck and is now widely recognised as Australia’s best squaregaiter.

Majestuoso will step out a likely favourite in Sunday’s talent laden Aldebaran Park True Roman Trotters Free For All, but his trainer Andy Gath recalled similar struggles in the 20-time winner’s earlier days.

“He was quite difficult,” Gath said. “It was slow progress, but as he got older he became more confident.

“For a period, every time he saw someone it was like it was the first time he had seen a person, and he used to pull really hard.”

While his development’s been a long-term project, his break-out came as a late three-year-old, with potential translating into performance in a stunning Victoria Trotters Derby win when he came from last at the final turn to win the Group 1.

Hayes would obviously welcome similar maturation in Igniting Stride, ideally beginning with qualification from Sunday’s heat into a race day that means plenty to him.

A Maryborough Harness Racing Club committee member of more than 30 years, including a vice-president of 12, Hayes has seen Redwood Day blossom into a superb all-trotting card and would love to be a part of it on October 31.

“It’s terrific, it’s just getting bigger and bigger, so it would be good to have this horse race on the day,” he said.

“This is (Igniting Stride's) hardest task. They’re getting fitter and faster. He can run a two minutes (for a mile), but nowadays that means he’s just one of the mob. He doesn’t want to walk behind the mobile, but once I get him away he’ll be OK.”