Ben Hayes regards Evaporate as primed for Group 1 glory, but the presence of top mare Autumn Glow in the George Ryder Stakes at Rosehill suggests his owners might need patience a tad longer.
Having notched six wins across 21 efforts, Evaporate was narrowly beaten for a signature success most recently, outfinished by Tom Kitten during the All-Star Mile (1600m) at Flemington, securing another Group 1 minor placing.
Hayes targets the Doncaster Mile (1600m) as the horse’s flagship Sydney assignment, viewing the upcoming George Ryder Stakes (1500m) showdown with Autumn Glow on Saturday as a valuable test.
“It’s going to be a hot race, but it will let us know where we’re at and then he will probably head to the Doncaster with 54-1/2 (kilos),” Hayes said.
“He’s won over $3 million and hasn’t won a Group One, so it’s a pretty good effort. Not many do that.
“He’s a Group One horse that just hasn’t done it yet.”
Priced at $23, Evaporate has thrived in stakes events since his spring three-year-old season and suits Sydney courses, claiming the Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) at Randwick last year and running second to Autumn Glow in the Golden Eagle (1500m).
The trainer was thrilled by Evaporate’s All-Star Mile performance, hauling the field alongside leader Pride Of Jenni before holding on gamely.
“It was super. He towed the field up to Jenni, chased her. Tom Kitten sat off him and just got him late,” he said.
“But I loved the way he kept kicking. He has always been a genuine horse.”
Traditionally, the George Ryder Stakes feeds into the Doncaster Mile, the same destination eyed by the underappreciated gelding Encap.
Encap resumed solidly in sixth spot during the Canterbury Stakes (1300m), close enough at under 1-1/2 lengths to Joliestar, with a cleaner run this campaign post a rain-affected spring.
“His feet are so much better now too,” Portelli said.
“We’ve had problems with his feet over the years, and he wasn’t coming out of the gates and getting going, I think because they were hurting him.
“He almost won the Doncaster Mile last year at 50-1. We don’t care about the price as long as we get a result, although his pattern makes it very hard to win and he is up against the best horses.”
At $126 odds, Encap shares triple-figure status in the George Ryder Stakes with Hawkes Racing’s Nepotism ($201).
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