Hay List has failed to accept for the 2012 Challenge Stakes after nominating for the event.

The six-year-old will instead be rested until the Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes at Randwick racecourse on April 14, 2012.

Trainer John McNair feels it’s for the best after hay List was beaten by Foxwedge in the Group 1 William Reid Stakes lasts tart.

“We have decided it is probably better to go straight into the T.J. Smith rather than go around on Saturday,” McNair said.

“If he runs in the Challenge, then when he gets to the T.J. Smith at Randwick, it would be his third start in five weeks and I don’t believe that is the right preparation for the horse.”

McNair has assured the public that Hay List is in top health, despite the decision to not run him in the 2012 Challenge Stakes.

“As far as his attitude and well-being is concerned, he could easily have started in Saturday’s race as the horse is exceptionally well,” he said.

“But he did have a three-week break between the Lightning Stakes and the Newmarket Handicap and that worked out well.

“So, we are going to try and replicate that going as the T.J. Smith Stakes as that race has been his main target all along this campaign.”

Just seven horses have accepted for a start in the 2012 Challenge Stakes, including Rain Affair who has drawn barrier three for the race.

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2012 Challenge Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw

The $175,000 Group 2 event has attracted just seven acceptors and even then not all are guaranteed to run this Sunday March 27th at Warwick Farm Racecourse.

With 12 wins from 16 starts Hay List easily has the best record in the field and in fact one of the best in the country.

One of the few with better stats is of course the unbeaten Black Caviar and she’s the only reason Hay List doesn’t have another couple of wins notched up on the tally.

With Black Caviar competing at Moonee Valley on Friday night there’s no excuses for Hay List not to shine and it will take a monster effort from one of the other runners to win.

Master Harry is in arguably the best form claiming his last two races and the three-year-old looks to be improving all the time under Peter Moody.

He is also nominated for Moonee Valley though so is no certainty to run, but with Moody fielding nearly half the field at that race meet there’s a decent chance he’ll show up at Warwick farm on Sunday.

Other names worth mentioning are Keen Commander which has the second highest handicapped rating behind Hay List.

Also in the field is the John O’Shea trained Solar Charged which will carry four and a half kilograms less than Hay List over the 1000m journey.

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2011 Challenge Stakes Field, Barriers & Weight

The headline event at the meeting will be the $350, 000 Group 1 Randwick Guineas (race six), but earlier in the day the 2010 Challenge Stakes will also be a hotly contested affair.

Currently two top gallopers are battling for favouritism in the weight-for-age feature, Stryker and Swift Alliance. Both horses are trained by two of Australia’s premier trainers, Stryker by Chris Waller and Swift Alliance by Gai Waterhouse, and are equal favourites at $3.20 with IASbet.

Fastnet Rock colt Stryker is seeking his second career victory in ten starts and is coming off some promising and consistent barrier trial wins. Stryker has drawn wide in seven on Saturday and will be ridden by Jim Cassidy as he kicks off his autumn campaign.

Stryker looked set to strike the big time last spring when he ran a gallant third to Denman in the Golden Rose, but a minor muscle injury saw the youngster spelled. Up against a field of older horses in the Challenge Stakes, Stryker has had to miss the lucrative three-year-old races this autumn but his run on Saturday will determine where he heads next.

Swift Alliance has the advantage of barrier one in the Challenge Stakes, the four-year-old son of Don Eduardo looking to improve on his lacklustre tenth place in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate back on February 20.

Six-year-old Typhoon Zed has been installed as the third elect at $4.20. The dual Group 1 winner is prepared by Tim Martin and has drawn the far outside barrier eight.

Also worth keeping an eye on is Dorf Command jumping from gate six. Currently at $10 for a win, the Clarry Conners-trained mare is coming off an impressive last start victory at Warwick Farm and could cause an upset on Saturday.

The 2010 Challenge Stakes is scheduled as race four at 2:50pm at the meeting’s cracker eight-event programme.

Aside from the Group 1 Randwick Guineas and the Group 2 Challenge Stakes, other highlights on the card at Randwick for Saturday are the three Group 3 races – Sweet Embrace Stakes, Skyline Stakes and the Randwick City Stakes.

2010 Challenge Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw: