‘Like a hurricane’: Hayes family puts on brave front as fire rebuild begins

Staff at one of Victoria’s most esteemed racing stables returned to work on Monday, vowing to rebuild the damaged Lindsay Park operation, where seven horses died in Friday’s Longwood bushfire.

Legendary trainer David Hayes flew back from Hong Kong as the fire bore down on the property run by his sons, Ben, Will and J.D. He told SEN Track on Monday they lost 90 per cent of their land as attempts were made to evacuate horses and staff from danger.

“It got very difficult. All the roads got closed. We were there on our own,” Hayes said.

“Fires are horrific but when 90km/h winds come in at 45 degrees, it’s like a hurricane without rain, and you don’t want to be in them. It was horrible.

“At times (I thought we would lose it all). A few spot fires got into the protected area.”

A video posted on Lindsay Park Racing’s Instagram account on Monday, showed staff returning to their duties amid smoke haze from the fires, accompanied by a message of defiance and gratitude.

“Coming back together after an incredibly tough time,” the caption read.

“We are deeply grateful to our staff, for their courage, care, and unwavering commitment to our horses and each other. What they showed in the face of a catastrophic fire is the very best of our industry: teamwork, resilience, and heart.

“This place has been changed, but it has not been broken. We will rebuild, together.”

The property has a well irrigated protected area which allowed – with the support of CFA, staff and the Hayes family – all but seven of the 327 horses on the property to escape with their lives. One of the 327 remains in a critical condition and is under expert veterinary care.

The 105 horses in the spelling paddock were relocated to Inglis Sales Complex at Oaklands Junction. Lindsay Park announced late on Monday all those horses would be transported to Nook Farm in Nagambie to continue their spells until mid-February.

A pre-training barn, a house under construction and most of the property’s fencing was also lost in the Longwood fire which affected a huge swath of north-east Victoria but the stable said on Monday they could continue to train horses in Euroa.

“We continue to work steadily towards resuming normal trackwork and training, and we are very close. As our major training infrastructure is located within irrigated areas, horses were able to safely complete slow work today. Horses currently in training with us will return to full, normal training over the coming days,” the Hayes family said in a statement.

Their experience was part of a dramatic weekend for the Victorian racing industry as fires roared through areas near several racing properties and the industry rallied to support those affected.

One hundred and sixty-five horses escaped the blaze that bore down on the Longwood Thoroughbred Farm after trainers and their support network mobilised to relocate the animals and farm staff. Owner Michael Christian was involved in the operation, helping relocate beloved sprinter Bella Nipotina.

Nearby Levena Park had 110 horses to relocate as the fire raged. Despite damage to paddocks and fencing, the horses were all saved and the main structures were relatively unscathed.

Fire previously threatened Lindsay Park’s Euroa property in 2014 when David Hayes was training in Australia.

The Alexandra fire also moved close to HG Turf, which grows grass to replace turf at the MCG and other sporting venues on a property just outside Alexandra.

News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.