In two crushing blows to his plans for a win in the 150th Melbourne Cup he lost prized imports Changingoftheguard and Our Aqaleem.

Changingoftheguard was put down late on Wednesday after complications following routine surgery for a gelding operation while Our Aqaleem did not survive a fractured shoulder at Flemington trackwork yesterday.

But Hayes' mother reminded him of the chain of events that led to his father Colin Hayes' first Melbourne Cup winner, Beldale Ball in 1980.

The previous year Hayes lost his best galloper Dulcify who fractured a pelvis and died when a hot favourite in the Melbourne Cup.

Hayes was philosophical about the brutal blow to his staying ranks.

"Dulcify was his best horse and Dad was shattered. [But] Mum reminded me he thought he'd never get the chance to win the race again. At the time he'd probably never heard of Beldale Ball, yet a year later he won the Cup."

"You never know where your next good horse is coming from. I was going through my list looking at what I've got left for the Cup. I can't see anything right now but it might be there, you just never know," he said.

Hayes scoured the best available staying talent in England 12 months ago in a bid to win the 150th Melbourne Cup.

Changingoftheguard was bought from the Aidan O'Brien stable and the horse was believed to have been insured for $1.3 million.

"We took the conservative approach with Changingoftheguard to geld him, he could have run in the Australian Cup."

Our Aqaleem, runner-up in the 2007 English Derby, was raced by the Australian arm of Shadwell Stud, the stable of Sheikh Hamdan, owner of 1984 Melbourne Cup winner Jeune and 1986 Melbourne Cup winner At Talaq and a long-time client of the Hayes family.

"Our Aqaleem was out for a routine canter. I planned to prepare them for the Cup from our new property in Euroa. I can't replace them," he said.

Hayes said jockey Steve Arnold heard a crack when Our Aqaleem was galloping at Flemington. The horse was taken to Werribee Veterinary Clinic but could not be saved.

Hayes said Our Aqaleem had a history of injuries.

"He was a most unlucky horse. He broke his pelvis twice. In hindsight there was a weakness there, he might have been chalky boned.

"I thought he could have been another Jeune or At Talaq. It [injury] could have happened in the Australian Cup, that would have been catastrophic," he said.

Meanwhile Hayes is still looking to overseas plans for top sprinters Eagle Falls and Nicconi.

Eagle Falls, runner-up in last Saturday's Newmarket Handicap, is likely to run in the $2.2 million Group One Golden Shaehen (1200m) in Dubai on the new artificial surface Tapeta at Meydan on March 27.

Hayes said he was toying with the idea of putting blinkers on Nicconi and would seek permission for an exhibition gallop at Caulfield on May 22 which would decide if he runs in the King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.