The Hawkes racing team has been in great form in recent months and the training partnership is preparing to welcome back its brightest prospect.Melbourne Cup runner-up Maluckyday is only a week away from returning to the stable following a successful spring campaign that almost resulted in the son of Zabeel almost claiming the greatest prize in Australian racing.Michael Hawkes, who trains in partnership with his father John and brother Wayne, said the stable was starting to really build momentum
The Hawkes racing team has been in great form in recent months and the training partnership is preparing to welcome back its brightest prospect.
Melbourne Cup runner-up Maluckyday is only a week away from returning to the stable following a successful spring campaign that almost resulted in the son of Zabeel almost claiming the greatest prize in Australian racing.
Michael Hawkes, who trains in partnership with his father John and brother Wayne, said the stable was starting to really build momentum.
"Love Conquers All is back in work, Dao Dao returns to the stable on Tuesday and Maluckyday is another week away," Hawkes said.
"He's in pre-training at the moment and he looks amazing."
The lightly-raced Maluckyday started his spring preparation with a midweek victory at Hawkesbury in August and progressed to winning the Listed City Tattersalls Club Cup (2400m) at Randwick and the Group Three Lexus Stakes (2500m) at Flemington.
That earned him a Melbourne Cup berth and the four-year-old announced himself as a potential superstar with his second to Americain at just his ninth start.
A light autumn preparation is on the cards for Maluckyday with the first Tuesday in November the main priority.
Maluckyday is already favourite for this year's Melbourne Cup with corporate bookmakers posting him around the $15 mark.
Hawkes said the stable had just enjoyed its best month in December since John Hawkes split from Crown Lodge after the spring of 2007 and went out on his own in partnership with his sons.
The Hawkes team has started January in good fashion also with Lone Command scoring a strong win at Randwick on Saturday.
But with the talented group of horses on their way back and young horses still to step out, Michael Hawkes admitted the upcoming autumn carnival was what he was really looking forward to.
"We've got a lovely crop of young horses coming through and you'll start to see them in the autumn," Hawkes said.
"They are more late two-year-olds and three-year-olds but I'm really looking forward to the autumn."