With spring staying features on their minds, Tony and Calvin McEvoy sent their improving stayer north to Queensland for Saturday’s $300,000 Listed Caloundra Cup (2400m) with instant success as the 4yo gelding Half Yours romped home by four and a half lengths.
Having recorded success at Seymour (VIC) in April, before winning at Rosehill (NSW) in May, the gelding added victory on Saturday in his third different state from his last five starts since joining the McEvoy stable.
Staring the punter’s elect, just ahead of the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained Bear On The Loose (IRE) (Footstepsinthesand), the Ashley Morgan ridden Half Yours was in a mid-field position as the field thundered past the winning post on the first occasion.
Taking up the running after jumping from barrier 16, last start winner The Right Way (NZ) (Ghibellines) ensured a nice tempo up front the with Annabel and Rob Archibald trained Hopeful (Fr) (Motivator) going forward to settle in second.
Having jumped away from the inside barrier, jockey Angela Jones took Bear On The Loose forward to be in a challenging position throughout, settling just off the leaders.
With the pace slackening with about 1600m to go, there was a slight reshuffle as Don Diego De Veha (Fr) (Lope de Vega) went forward to take up the running.
Bailey Wheeler aboard Nikau Spur (NZ) (Proisir) was clearly unhappy with the pace of the race, charging to the lead with about 900m to run, going many lengths clear and putting some pace back into the race.
Still unfazed by the continual reshuffling of the field, Morgan began to make his run on the race favourite, and while he was still many lengths off the leaders as they headed into the home straight, he was starting to charge down the outside, hitting the lead at the 200m mark to pull clear in an utterly dominant display.
Bear On The Loose came along the inside to take second with Tony Gollan’s last start Listed Ipswich Cup runner up Felix The Scat (Mendelssohn) back in third.
The Caloundra Cup success justified the faith McEvoy has in his 4yo, and with spring plans on the horizon, the victory would see his rating rise.
"He's a horse we sourced and purchased and thought he was the right article and he showed that today that he's the horse we'd hoped for,” said McEvoy.
"He looks to have a bright staying future."
"The whole idea was to come here and get his rating up so we can target some races in the spring.”
"He's achieved that now so we'll back off him and have a spell but he'll go to a water walker and tick over and have a little reward for a few weeks - keeping his muscle and then we'll take him home and see where we'll go."
Highlighting his explosive turn of foot, Morgan was effusive in his praise of Half Yours.
"He's a proper, proper horse and he got into a nice spot and switched off for me," Morgan said.
"His strength is that he relaxes really well in the run and has an explosive turn-of-foot. He put them to bed.
"Down in the weights, and there's a lot of good races over two miles, there's not really any ceiling for that."
Purchased for $305,000 by Belmont Bloodstock Pty Ltd and McEvoy Mitchell Racing from the Halo Racing Unreserved Reduction Sale (as agent) draft via the Inglis November (Late) Online Sale, Saturday’s victory took Half Your’s record to five wins and three second palced efforts from ten starts with earnings of $350,890.
The first stakes winner for his sire St Jean (IRE), an imported son of Darley’s Teofilo who started his career in Europe before heading to Australia followed by ending his race career in New Zealand where his highlight performance came with success in the Group 3 City of Auckland Cup, Half Yours is one of three winners from five to the races out of the Desert King mare La Gazelle, a half-sister to the Group 3 winner Moudre (Belvic).
Covering small books in each of his eight seasons at stud, St Jean (IRE) is listed as standing at a fee of $3,300 (inc. GST).
