Tony McEvoy has experienced Melbourne Cup glory before, but never like this. During his time at Angaston under the Lindsay Park banner, he worked closely on the preparation of past Cup champions Beldale Ball, At Talaq and Jeune.

But Tuesday’s triumph belonged to him and his son Calvin, after Half Yours stormed to victory to complete the elite Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup double, becoming just the 13th horse in history to achieve the feat.

“You don’t get anywhere without opportunity, and I was part of that great Hayes family for so many years, and three Melbourne Cups,” McEvoy said.

“But I never thought I would be standing here with one of my own.

“It’s incredibly special. It’s a hard game and you don’t win all the time in this game.

“To have Cal with the passion to do what I want to do, it’s made my life a hell of a lot easier and more joyous and what this horse has done will take us to another level, and we’re certainly looking forward to it.”

After branching away to form McEvoy Mitchell Racing in 2010, McEvoy was often labelled a trainer of precocious juveniles. However, his admiration for stayers was always present, having previously produced Grand National Steeplechase winner Lance Corporal.

He hopes this Cup double will reshape industry perceptions.

“It is the Melbourne Cup. It is the race that ‘stops the nation’ for a reason,” McEvoy said.

“Before Cal came on board, I think I was perceived as a speed, two-year-old filly’s trainer and Cal has been associated with that.

“What that has done has given us an unbalanced string. We haven’t been able to go out and buy the big European horses.

“I’m hoping this Caulfield Cup and this Melbourne Cup will change people’s mindset on that and we can get involved in some of these European stayers now.

“I love training stayers. I’ve trained a Grand National Steeple winner.”

Half Yours, purchased for $310,000 via online sale, delivered a near-perfect spring, even thriving in the rain that arrived shortly before the race.

“We were down saddling up and Cal reminded me when I won the Cox Plate, it was raining,” McEvoy said.

“It was a nice shower to come through, and we’ve had a faultless preparation which you need to win any race.

“This is an incredible horse to allow us to do what we have done.”

Looking ahead, McEvoy believes the gelding’s future lies at weight-for-age level.

“I think his run in the Turnbull Stakes showed he could be a weight-for-age horse when he finished next to the Cox Plate winner Via Sistina,” McEvoy said.

“He’s a big track horse and the Cox Plate is going to be run at Flemington next year.”