Tony McEvoy’s sharp training instincts are once again on display with rising stayer Half Yours, whose victory in the Listed Caloundra Cup has set him on a path toward the 2025 Caulfield Cup.
The four-year-old has been taken on a well-planned campaign across three states this prep, with Saturday’s emphatic win marking the high point of a promising rise.
And for omen-watchers, it’s worth noting the same race day in 2023 featured a Winx Guineas win by Knight’s Choice, who would go on to take out the 2024 Melbourne Cup.
“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,” McEvoy said.
“He looks to have a bright staying future.”
Half Yours ($3.50 betting favourite) made a powerful statement, winning by 4½ lengths over Bear On The Loose ($4.20), with Felix The Scat ($17) a further 2¼ lengths behind.
“The whole idea was to come here and get his rating up so we can target some races in the spring,” McEvoy added.
“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.”
Jockey Ash Morgan was full of praise for the gelding after their dominant win.
“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.”
The winning team of Morgan and McEvoy also teamed up for success with Mr Verse ($4.40) earlier on the card.
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