He's won a share in more than $1.5 million in prizemoney and could double that if Single Gaze wins the Caulfield Cup, but that won't stop Martin Hay from rolling up his sleeves and shovelling horse poo.
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It should come as no surprise Hay is more than happy to get his hands dirty given he owns an earth-moving business in Gundagai
Hay and mate David Tout own a 50 per cent stake in Single Gaze, the Canberra five-year-old mare chasing glory in one of the spring carnival's 'big three' races on Saturday.
It's a once in a lifetime experience for Hay and the other co-owners, and the ride could get even better if Single Gaze runs in the Melbourne Cup on the first Tuesday in November.
If trainer Nick Olive clears the way for the Melbourne Cup, Single Gaze would become the first horse to do the the Golden Slipper and the Melbourne Cup double.
But first Hay has been carrying a shovel in Melbourne for the past two weeks to help Olive and stable foreman Billy Owen however he can.
That's included mucking out the stables while the $34 long shot has been fine tuning ahead of the biggest race of her career.
"I've been down here for a few weeks, I've been coming and going actually. I've spent the last couple of weeks with Nick and Billy," Hay told Fairfax Media.
"Obviously we're on a once-in-a-lifetime ride so I want to be here and feel and be part of it as much as I can. It's just great, the atmosphere's great, the horse is in great nick. I just really enjoy it.
"I go out to the stables with Nick and Billy every morning and every afternoon. I help out a bit, just muck out the stables, while the boys work with the horse. It's just good fun."
Single Gaze has been taken in as one of their own at the Caulfield stables and she is primed to run in a field that includes includes $4.20-favourite Johannes Vermeer - trained by leading Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien.
Her long odds are despite finishing a head bob off third place in the group 1 Caulfield Stakes last Saturday, where she was just 2?? lengths behind Johannes Vermeer.
She won the group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill last year and has repeatedly defied her small stature to put in big efforts in big races.
It had Hay confident she would be in the finish on Saturday.
"A few of the people down this way don't rate her, but she is a genuine winning chance. I know she's 33-1, but the horse doesn't know that," he said.
"Nick and Billy have timed their preparations to perfection, she's just spot on this horse. She's never, ever gone as good as she's going now.
"It's a bit surreal. We'll be out there on Saturday with the horse competing in the Caulfield Cup. You watch them for years on the TV and you never imagine you'll be lucky enough to gain a horse that can run in and be competitive in a race like that, but we're about to do it.
"I know wherever she finishes she'll do us proud on the weekend. She's a tough little bugger, she fights like a tiger. She'll surprise a few people this weekend."
