A lot of water has gone under the bridge in the past 12 months for War Machine.
On the corresponding weekend last year, the Ben, Will and Jd Hayes-trained War Machine was in Sydney competing in The Everest.
While it did not turn out how the Lindsay Park trainers had hoped, War Machine had entered that race in excellent form with a win in the Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm and victory in the Gilgai Stakes at Flemington in the lead-up.
The Hayes brothers had looked forward to what potentially lay ahead, but it wasn’t until the Group 3 Harry White Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday that War Machine returned victorious.
Ridden by Mark Zahra, War Machine ($3.70) held-off the $2.50 favourite Private Eye to score by a head with Hughes ($12) three-quarters-of-a-length away third.
Caulfield Race 5 – War Machine
He’s a fighter! War Machine and Mark Zahra hold off Private Eye in a bottler 💪@lindsayparkrace
📺 Ch. 78/68, Foxtel 529, Kayo or via our app
REPLAYS: https://t.co/HEhdpoAdc6 pic.twitter.com/v6zjQ5hUdJ— Racing.com (@Racing) October 17, 2026
The victory denied Private Eye back-to-back wins.
Ben Hayes said War Machine had been a super horse for the stable and it was great to finally see the gelding back in winning form.
“He’s been a super horse for us, but he’s been a bit frustrating since winning a few Stakes races last year,” Hayes said.
“Things haven’t quite gone his way with wide barrier and tracks, and we scratched him four times before we found the right race.
“He had a good run today, a great ride from Mark and it was good to get a class drop into a race like that.”
Zahra picked his way through the field before striking the front early in straight and Hayes said he was impressed with the fight War Machine delivered when the runner-up was there to run him down.
Hayes said there was options at Flemington over the upcoming Melbourne Cup Carnival that the Lindsay Park team would mull over.
“I would like to see how he pulls up first because we do have the option of coming back in trip or going up in trip,” Hayes said.
“He’s got a lot of options. He’s a good 1400-metre horse and he’s good down the straight as well, so we’ll have a good talk to the ownership group, and we’ll make that decision over a nice drink and enjoy the win.”
