Hay List's amazing comeback tops feel-good list as grand old sprinter returns from serious injury Hay List (red cap) ran a creditable fourth in his highly anticipated return behind Snitzerland (green cap). Snitzerland, ridden by Corey Brown, wins the Challenge Stakes with Hay List (background). THE real feel-good story that was sadly overlooked at Warwick Farm on Saturday was the amazing comeback of Hay List. After 12 months of injuries and a near-death experience, it was a miracle the crack sprinter had made it back to the track, let alone to compete in elite company. Trainer John McNair summed up his emotions when he told The Daily Telegraph last night: "I actually left the track feeling more euphoric than I did when Hay List won the Group 1 Newmarket. (Jockey) Glyn Schofield told me after the race people in the crowd were applauding the horse as he came off the track and back to the mounting yard. You don't usually get that when you don't win a race. I was over the moon. Hay List ran fourth in his highly anticipated return behind Snitzerland in the Group 2 Challenge Stakes (1000m). While winning trainer Gerald Ryan had good reason to be happy about the Group 1 aspirations of Snitzerland in the coming months, McNair was 30m away, looking just as chuffed. Hay List, the only horse in Australia to get mighty mare Black Caviar off the bit and chasing - he's run second to her four times in Group 1 company - underwent surgery for colic last April. While in surgery, Hay List took a tumble and smashed his knee. For a brief moment, they didn't think the bulky horse would make it. Then when he returned to work for his latest campaign, he picked up a foot abscess. McNair said the abscess would have stopped "98 out of 100 horses, maybe 99 out of 100." But McNair nursed Hay List back to full health, and not only got him back to the races, but made sure he could still compete against the best. Now the trainer's attention turns to finally upstaging Black Caviar. While Hay List pulled up a treat yesterday, McNair must decide if he runs in the Group 1 The Galaxy (1100m) on Saturday week, or go straight to the TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) where Black Caviar awaits. Hay List will strip fitter, and has never been beaten in five second-up runs. "We'll nominate for The Galaxy, but I've been told he'll get 62kg, which is ridiculous, and if he gets that he won't be running," McNair said. Every man and his dog is heading there. But if they (officials) are smart and they want to attract a tip-top field, they should give us a weight that encourages us to start. Saturday was also the firmest track he had run on. Normally I wouldn't have run on that surface, but we needed it if we are to try to win the TJ Smith Stakes. I'm not going to say 'yes we can' or 'no we can't' beat Black Caviar. You need everything to go your way, and even then Black Caviar's record suggests you still won't win. I know there will be horses who won't shy away from her. Hay List went hard early on the weekend, which paved the way for Snitzerland to clock a course record 56.16sec. THE board of Racing NSW will meet today to discuss the future of racing on the Central Coast, including the possible merger of Wyong and Gosford race clubs.