How bad was it...really? All the talk is about trouble-prone Hay List again. And whether connections are covering up the extent of his latest problem. Hay List threw a scare into the Brisbane carnival chiefs by pulling a shoe yesterday but trainer John McNair reckons he is not too concerned, even though the incident happened only a few days before Hay List's clash with Black Caviar in the BTC Cup. McNair says HL is a bit of a klutz. He adds: 'He stepped on his own hind foot, taking off the shoe

How bad was it...really? All the talk is about trouble-prone Hay List again. And whether connections are covering up the extent of his latest problem. Hay List threw a scare into the Brisbane carnival chiefs by pulling a shoe yesterday but trainer John McNair reckons he is not too concerned, even though the incident happened only a few days before Hay List's clash with Black Caviar in the BTC Cup. McNair says HL is a bit of a klutz. He adds: 'He stepped on his own hind foot, taking off the shoe after a gallop at Gosford...He's like a big kid and he steps on his own feet all the time and has done it again...'I had a quick look and it didn't look as if he took much of the hoof away. It's a hind plate, which is something different because he usually takes the front plates off...The farrier had to do a bit of remedial work but we are used to that after all the problems we have had with all four of his feet...We got through it and he's fine...It won't stop him on Saturday.'

Brisbane Turf Club officials are preparing for the biggest crowd at Doomben for almost 40 years when Black Caviar makes her Queensland debut in the BTC 1200m at Doomben on Saturday. Previous biggest crowd was about 16,000 to see Gunsynd's farewell gallop in 1973...Black Caviar will have as many as eight or nine rivals at her first run since her Smith Stakes win at Randwick on April 9. In latest betting, Black Caviar is at $1.20 and Hay List $5.00.

The news on injured apprentice Jake Noonan is optimistic. He apparently escaped serious injury in that heavy fall from Safe in the last race at Flemington on Saturday, and is making what the medicos call 'slow progress'...Racing Victoria welfare officer Ron Hall, who saw Jake on Tuesday, says the 18-year-old remains sedated. He sleeps most of the time. RH adds: 'He's taking small steps forward and the medical staff are happy with his progress.'