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By Enda McElhinney
A prominent face on the pony racing circuit in his youth, Hayes linked up with Kevin Prendergast as an apprentice in 2004 and was champion apprentice in each of the next three years.
Hayes finished as champion apprentice in three straight years from 2005-2007. He had his first winner when Anonymity scored at Bellewstown in July 2004 for trainer Ger Lynch.
He went on to enjoy a decent career in Irish circles, with more than 1,000 winners to his name.
He had to wait for his first Group 1 victory, which finally arrived when La Collina won the Coolmore Fusaichi Pegasus Matron Stakes at Leopardstown in September 2013.
That was to prove the start of a good week. Just seven days later he enjoyed his first Classic success when the Voleuse De Coeurs landed the Irish St Leger at the Curragh for trainer Dermot Weld.
Hayes' association with the late Prendergast was enduring so it was a truly special occasion for them when Awtaad won the Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh in 2016.
Three years later, another Irish Classic came along, this time on the Weld-trained Search For A Song in the Irish St Leger at the Curragh.
The Shanagolden-born rider was a constant presence on the Irish racing scene throughout the last 20 years.
The biggest win of Hayes' career so far came at Epsom in 2024 when he brought Ezeliya home in front in the Oaks for Weld in the famous silks of the Aga Khan.
The 13/2 second-favourite was strong in the finish and came away to win by three-lengths as the Aidan O'Brien-trained favourite Ylang Ylang was behind in sixth.
Hayes can also point to a piece of history in Irish racing. He rode the longest-priced winner in the history of racing in Ireland or Britain when partnering the Luke Comer-trained He Knows No Fear to win a maiden at Leopardstown in August 2020 at odds of 300/1.
Having won the Irish Guineas on Awtaad, Hayes was given a chance to send a broodmare to the Classic winner. He bought his first broodmare prospect by paying the princely sum of 10,000 gns for the Oasis Dream filly Butoolat at the Tattersalls July Sale of 2017, admitting his knowledge of that side of the racing game was limited.
Now, he is a self-confessed breeding anorak. His mare has an upgraded page, thanks to her siblings Mostahdaf and Nazeef having won multiple Group 1s in recent seasons."It wasn't a shrewd purchase or anything, I just did what most people do: try to get into a Shadwell pedigree, as you know they're top quality and you get the chance of updates,? he later told the Racing Post.
Hayes spent a lot of time in the company of the late Pat Smullen at Weld's yard and suggests his love of breeding now gives him a link to the much-missed nine-time champion jockey.
He said: "He loved breeding and I remember when I first told him I was thinking of getting into it, he said it was brilliant and encouraged me to do it too. I used to sit beside him in the weighing room and we would talk about the stock."
