The lid looks to have been lifted from Cruiserweight following his impressive win at Caulfield.
Success in the Sportsbet Jockey Watch Handicap (1400m) on Saturday was the gelding’s third win in succession and second since joining the Lindsay Park team of Ben, Will and J D Hayes.
Cruiserweight has already garnered some comparisons with Lindsay Park champion Mr Brightside, and the Hayes brothers expect Cruiserweight to get to a higher level.
Sent out the $3 favourite under Craig Williams, Cruiserweight scored by a length from Celtics ($8) with Beechworth ($13) a further 3-¾ lengths away third.
J D Hayes was reluctant to label Cruiserweight the new Mr Brightside who strung together six wins on the trot after being defeated in his first two starts before making it to a Group 1 race in his first campaign for Lindsay Park.
“It was visually very impressive,” Hayes said of Cruiserweight.
“It’s great to get a win for Punt Road Syndicate, John O’Neill and Jason Steet, and we sourced this horse together from New Zealand and he has gone from strength to strength.
Cruiserweight cruises past and it’s Craig again 👑
An early double puts Willo ten wins in front in the Melbourne Jockeys Premiership!@cwilliamsjockey @lindsayparkrace pic.twitter.com/kBBbqDE87g
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) July 11, 2026
“It looks like we will have a bit of fun with him going forward.
“He’s very raw. He’s not the finished product. He got up on his toe beforehand, he got hot and sweaty, but there’s plenty of upside.
“I know it’s a three-year-old race in July, but the way that he did it, hopefully he can end up where we think he can end up.”
Asked where Cruiserweight may eventually end up, Hayes said the gelding will race through the spring to try and build his ratings and prize money.
“What I think and what can happen are two different things,” Hayes said.
“He will be the fit horse on the scene in the spring, and how far he goes, that’s another matter, but he is a bloody good horse.”
Williams, who registered a race-to-race double having scored aboard Markdel for his father Alan and brother Jason in the Sportsbet Fast Form Handicap (1100m), was impressed with how Cruiserweight went about his work.
“They did say that he may be the new Mr Brightside and the way that he went he has scope for distance,” Williams said.
“He’s such a big, raw horse, and he’s got really good ability.
“They (the Hayes brothers) will get the best out of him and it will be exciting to see the path they take with him.”
