Given that Sheza Alibi comfortably took out the Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington on Saturday as the $1.60 favourite by a margin of almost three lengths, the beaten brigade did not feel it was a missed opportunity.
However, there were mixed levels of satisfaction among the runners-up, with few leaving as pleased as the connections of Half Yours.
Last year’s Melbourne Cup winner finished sixth, trailing Sheza Alibi by 4.65 lengths. Post-race, the gelding’s jockey, Jamie Melham, could not conceal her excitement.
“Very happy, (I) couldn’t fault him,” she expressed. “He’s very forward this time and I think next start you’ll see and a big improvement in him. He’s not (going to be) needing the run next start.”
Trainer Tony McEvoy, who trains Half Yours in partnership with his son Calvin, shared Melham’s optimism, citing the gelding’s strong finish as a positive sign.
The six-year-old recorded the third-fastest final 800m (45secs), 600m (33.17), and 400m (22.14) of the race, only bettered by Sheza Alibi and the second-place finisher Autumn Boy. He finished just three-quarters-of-a-length behind the top-class galloper Sir Delius.
“They left him flat (footed) when they sprinted, which you’d expect, but then I loved the way he round the race out,” McEvoy noted. “I mean, you’ve got the Cox Plate favourite there, Sir Delius, and I reckon we nearly took two lengths off him in the last 100 metres. I think the horse has run superbly.”
Half Yours is now scheduled to compete in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) on October 3, a race where he finished fourth last year, followed by an appearance in the $6 million Cox Plate (2040m) three weeks later.
This will be his final race prior to his attempt to defend his Melbourne Cup crown. The weight he will be assigned for the November 3 event will be disclosed on Thursday.
Racing Victoria handicapper David Heagan is expected to mark the defending champion with 59kg, a considerable rise from the 53kg he carried to victory last year. However, McEvoy stated that the Makybe Diva Stakes performance confirmed that fitness would not be a limiting factor.
“He’s going to be only four runs into a Melbourne Cup and it’s a tough race the Melbourne Cup (over) two miles, they’ve got to be really fit and he will be,” he concluded.
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