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Hayes: How the bushfires impacted their stable's performance
Connor Scanlon • February 15th, 2026 2:32 pm
Since the Hayes’ Lindsay Park property was severely impacted by the Victorian bushfires, their stable hasn’t been up to their usual standards.
From War Machine losing the Group 2 Australia Stakes (1200m) as an extremely short favourite, to the likes of Eurocanto underperforming in the Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m), plenty of conversation has been made around how the Hayes stable has recently been performing.
Speaking on RSN’s Correct Weight Ben Hayes explained that the slight dip in form results from the bushfires wreaking havoc on their property.
Not only was 90% of their property burnt, but the aftereffects of dealing with employees and insurance companies also took a huge toll on the Hayes brothers.
“Well 90% of the property got burnt. We lost all our fencing, barns, my house burnt down, and it's just a busy time of year,” Hayes explained.
“It was probably the toughest month since us boys have taken over that we've had; just so much stress and making sure everything is working.
“I think that's the case - there's a lot of change, a lot of stress, and it's something I don't recommend to anyone. It was horrible.
“You've got to deal with insurance companies and keep making sure your staff are ok and making sure you can employ them all when you lose your whole property. We employ up to 200 people – you’ve got to make sure you can keep everyone happy.
“So it's just a lot of change and a very stressful time.”
While the bushfires caused some dark days for the Hayes stable, Ben believes that they can see the light at the end of the tunnel now with their horses returning back to top form.
“Look, things weren't going our way. We were just losing bobs… No one remembers the seconds, so the horses weren't running bad,” Hayes stated.
“It's just turning now, on Saturday, a couple of bobs went our way.
“As you can see, the last two weeks we've had five or six city winners and the horses are all running very well, so we're right back on track.
“I joked on air that we've finally got the smoke out of the lungs.
“I think that was our first bad run in three years. We're out the other end… so, we're looking forward to the autumn carnival.”
