Tom Dabernig is excited at the challenge on the horizon and believes he and the rest of the Lindsay Park team are ready to continue the famous racing operation’s success once David Hayes returns to Hong Kong.
Hayes, and the Hong Kong Jockey Club, announced last week he will return to the Asian racing jurisdiction for the start of the 2020-21 season having spent around a decade there from the mid 1990s.
A member of Australian racing’s Hall of Fame, Hayes heads the large Lindsay Park racing operation in Australia, with his nephew Dabernig and son Ben part of the training partnership.
Dabernig was elevated to co-trainer in 2014 while Hayes promoted his son Ben to co-trainer two years later.
They will continue as Lindsay Park’s trainers once Hayes departs next year.
“I’ve served a good apprenticeship so I’m sure that when the time comes we’ll all be ready,” Dabernig said.
“And it’s a good opportunity.
“I’m certainly excited by it. We’re lucky we’ve got an amazing team of horses and a massive support of owners.
“It’s a fortunate role to step into and it’s a very familiar role. I think it’s 26 years I’ve been involved with the family business so it’s not like I’m walking into a fresh stable with new people and owners and horses.
“I think with the support of Ben, and David’s son JD is looking to get more involved, we’ll tackle it as a team and I certainly feel like I’m maturing as a trainer.”
Dabernig said he understood training from “farms” having grown up at the old Lindsay Park property at Angaston in South Australia before being heavily involved in the development of the operation’s current establishment at Euroa in Victoria.
“I think a lot of people don’t fully understand how to do it but I was lucky enough to grow up at Lindsay Park and I was very involved with the development of the property at Euroa, so I know how to make those farms work, train to get the best off training off a property,” Dabernig said.
Hayes insists Dabernig and Ben Hayes are ready and expects it will be business as usual.
“I have full confidence in my team,” Hayes said .
“I’m really excited about watching the boys flourish. I’m sure they will do well and I’m only going to be a phone call away.”