Lindsay Park is set to unleash a formidable three-horse challenge in Saturday’s Aurie’s Star Handicap at Flemington. The notable inclusion is the return of champion jockey Blake Shinn aboard War Machine, marking his first race meeting since a significant fall on Melbourne Cup Day.

Adding to the stable’s strength, Mark Zahra will partner Arkansaw Kid, fresh off his campaign at Royal Ascot. Jye McNeil will pilot the third runner, last-start victor Ndola, completing the Lindsay Park trio.

The stable is aiming to secure their first victory in the Aurie’s Star Handicap since So Si Bon triumphed in the Group 3 sprint back in 2019, when the team included David Hayes, Ben Hayes, and Tom Dabernig.

Ben Hayes confirmed that Shinn himself opted to ride War Machine after experiencing both stablemates in jump-outs at Flemington last Friday. “He rode them both in jump-outs last Friday and I don’t think there’s much between them,” Hayes commented. “He knows War Machine well and he’s going back to his old buddy.”

War Machine’s last appearance was a third-place finish in the Newmarket Handicap over the Flemington straight in March. Hayes indicated that the gelding has benefited significantly from an extended spell following a demanding preparation that began when he joined the stable in April of the previous year.

“He lost his way a bit last preparation,” Hayes admitted. “He had a long prep. He went to Queensland, freshened, came back, went to The Everest, came back, but just didn’t come up in the autumn. He had a long break, and he seems to have come back really well. His work at home has been great and seems a happier horse. He’s enjoying his trackwork, so hopefully that converts to some good runs.”

Arkansaw Kid has had a different preparation, spending time at Lindsay Park’s Euroa property and Pakenham before recent jump-outs at Traralgon and Flemington. “We changed things around with him to keep him thinking,” Hayes explained. “He’s been in work a long time, so it was like changing stables, without changing stables. I thought his Traralgon jump-out was good, his jump-out on Friday was great and he’s always been a consistent, good horse for the stable and is a horse we all love. He’s good down the straight, he’s won a couple of Bobbie Lewis Qualities, so he knows what he’s doing.”

Ndola enters Saturday’s feature race in impressive winning form, having captured the Listed Santa Ana Lane Series Final first-up on July 4, subsequently defeating War Machine in a jump-out last week. Hayes noted this trial was crucial for maintaining the gelding’s fitness during a four-week interval between races.

“He was good fresh when he got away with murder in front and they couldn’t catch him,” Hayes stated. “It’s a step up in class and he’s running against some very good horses, but he deserves to be there.”

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