David Hayes is hoping the Australian debut of German stakeswinner Budai in the Lawrence Stakes can ease the pain of a chest injury inflicted by another imported galloper.Hayes had his chest muscle torn from the bone when Budai's stablemate Laristan savaged him on Tuesday.Hayes said the entire caught him off guard when doing a routine check of the horse."He is stallion and was just in one of those moods, I wasn't concentrating and he got me," Hayes said."He lunged forward at me and, with ears pin

David Hayes is hoping the Australian debut of German stakeswinner Budai in the Lawrence Stakes can ease the pain of a chest injury inflicted by another imported galloper.

Hayes had his chest muscle torn from the bone when Budai's stablemate Laristan savaged him on Tuesday.

Hayes said the entire caught him off guard when doing a routine check of the horse.

"He is stallion and was just in one of those moods, I wasn't concentrating and he got me," Hayes said.

"He lunged forward at me and, with ears pinned back, grabbed me on the chest and pulled me forward.

"It really took the wind out of me and it pulled my chest off the bone a bit."

While Laristan is still two weeks away from resuming in the Heatherlie Hcp (1700m) at Caulfield, Hayes is looking forward to finally seeing the well-credentialled Budai in action at Caulfield on Saturday.

A foot abscess prevented Budai from having an acclimatising run in May that Hayes-trained imports traditionally have before their first spring campaign.

"It was a nasty foot abscess so we turned him out," Hayes said.

"He's a German horse who has got French form and we all know about French form after Americain last year.

"He has got form around good horses and he has settled in well."

Hayes expects Budai to start hitting his peak mid-spring.

"It is hard to get a guide on him because he is lazy but I would be surprised if he would win a 1400-metre race," Hayes said.

"The only imports that we have had that could do that were Jeune and At Talaq, even Almaraad who was Horse of the Year couldn't do it.

"I would say you will see him hit form at 1800 metres or 2000 metres at maybe his third run."

Budai has won five of his 11 starts but hasn't raced since finishing second in the Group Two Qatar Prix Dollar (1950m) at Longchamp on October 2 last year.

He came to Hayes' attention on the recommendation of international bloodstock consultant Hubie De Burgh and Americain's Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Gerald Mosse.

"He is a good looking horse and a good mover," Hayes said.

"We have put him in everything (the Cox Plate, Caulfield and Melbourne Cups) and will work it out as we go along."

The Lawrence Stakes is considered a race in two with Whobegotyou at $1.90 with TAB Sportsbet ahead of Lights Of Heaven ($2.60).

AJC Oaks winner Absolutely is next best at $11 with Budai and Time Matters both at $21.