'Don't win too far' as Hayes scores by a nose Chris Hayes registered a double and his first two winners of 2026 today, as the English Oaks-winning jockey completed his Dundalk brace on the Gordon Elliott-trained Boston Benjamin (10/1) in the DundalkStadium.com Handicap. Carrying the colours of former trainer Denis Barry, the three-year-old colt by Far Above raced with the leaders and while strongly pressed by Salacious near the line, held on for an all-out, hard-fought nose success. Hayes, whose first winner was in July 2004, quipped "I travelled into it nicely and thought I was mooching away to win without giving him a hard race, but he (Elliott) had said 'don't win too far', so it is grand! "The runner-up fought me well and we had a lot of weight, so it was a good performance. If you ignored his last run here, and went solely on his Naas run, he was just far better than these.” Regarding his own Cheltenham fancies, Hayes added "Gordon's horses are flying and I'd be really throwing my name into the hat for (Elliott’s) El Cairos when he goes on the Flat! I'd love to ride him in a Flat race, as he doesn't half quicken.” Quotes from Michael Graham
