Half Yours Impresses With Melbourne Cup Triumph

In an incredible achievement from horse, jockey, and trainers, the rise of Half Yours (AUS) hit a meteoric peak Nov. 4 when he became only the 13th horse in history to complete the Caulfield Cup (G1)/Melbourne Cup (G1) double. Providing trainers Tony and Calvin McEvoy and his rider Jamie Melham with a first win in the Melbourne Cup, Half Yours' continued upward trajectory has been one of the stories of the season to date and was capped off with success in Tuesday's AU$10 million race. "Unbelievable. Wow, what a horse," Calvin McEvoy said. "He's continued to raise the bar; I've got no words. It's been amazing, it's been such a big team effort. What an amazing horse. Unbelievable." Calvin's father, Tony, also cut an emotional figure postrace and said: "What a joy, what a joy. This is our great race. It's so special to win it. "Incredible moment. From the days we grow up, the Melbourne Cup was everything. It's been a great race for the McEvoy family, Kerrin winning it three times. My brother, Philip, owned a horse that ran second in it, and now for me to be able to win, for us to be able to win it, it's just amazing." Having been something of a slow burner during the first four years of his life, including not making his debut until his 3-year-old year, Half Yours has made giant strides this preparation. Scoring a maiden stakes victory at the first attempt when landing the Caloundra Cup back in July, the gelding returned as a 5-year-old with a fifth-placed finish in a Benchmark 100 at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse Aug. 30. Stepped back up to stakes grade, Half Yours was ridden by Jamie Melham for the first time in his career when the pair routed their rivals in the Naturalism Stakes (G3) at Caulfield Racecourse Sept. 20. A gallant fourth in the Turnbull Stakes (G1)—where he was beaten less than 3 lengths—would follow, setting him up perfectly for last month's Caulfield Cup where he proved much the best with a cozy half-length success over River of Stars (IRE), leaving Tuesday's Melbourne Cup as the obvious next goal. As long-time leader Land Legend (FR) weakened rapidly moving into the final 800 meters, Melham weaved her way through the field and moved up to challenge the new leader Goodie Two Shoes (IRE). Melham and Half Yours battled well against the Joseph O'Brien-trained runner-up inside the final 400 meters and, having hit the front with 200 meters left to race, careered away for a dominant 2 3/4-length success. Pin Oak Stud's Parchment Party, the Bill Mott trainee who became the first American-based runner to participate in the Melbourne Cup, settled toward the rear of the field beneath John Velazquez. Turning for home last of 24, he worked his way up to finish 20th. Flatten the Curve (FR), who traveled from Europe to win the Bowling Green Gold Cup Invitational Stakes at Kentucky Downs Aug. 30, closed from his early last position to finish 13th. Having been bred and raced by the late Col McKenna, Half Yours was picked up for AU$305,000 during last year's Inglis November (Late) Online Sale when part of the Halo Racing Unreserved Reduction Sale. Inglis Digital business manager Nick Melmeth said of Half Yours' victory: "I'm so pleased for all the owners of Half Yours, Tony and Calvin and Damon (Gabbedy), what an unbelievable result for them and an unbelievable result for Inglis Digital. "We're eternally grateful to Janice McKenna for offering the Halo Racing draft on Inglis Digital last year after Colin's sad passing, and I'm sure Col was looking down at Flemington today and riding the race with Jamie. "It's a proud day for Inglis Digital. Our platform continues to go from strength to strength, and the success of graduates on the track in recent times has been nothing short of extraordinary, and to now have claim to a Melbourne Cup winner is amazing.'' Having been bred by McKenna and first trained by Ciaron Maher, Half Yours is out of the Desert King mare La Gazelle, who was owned and raced by McKenna and his wife Janice. "Colin McKenna and Janice bred the horse, and the way they do things, they have a farm down at Warrnambool, and they don't push their horses," Tony McEvoy said of Half Yours. "He was in the big system at (Ciaron Maher Racing) and I knew Col wouldn't put pressure on Ciaron to push him as a young horse. "We basically got a young 4-year-old, I suppose, no miles on the clock, plenty of raw ability and something to work with." For Melham, she was making her own special slice of history by becoming just the second female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup, and the first to complete the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup double. "This is what we do it for," Melham said. "This is why we get up out of bed every morning at 4 a.m., work our arses for the last 15 years I've been in this industry. It's tough. It's not all glorious and perfect as everyone can see sometimes. "I've had an amazing year. Got married, had some really great days on the track, but nothing ever, ever compares to this feeling right now that I'm feeling." The rider, who recently married fellow jockey Ben Melham, joined Michelle Payne in winning the Melbourne Cup, with the latter having scored success aboard Prince Of Penzance a decade ago. Half Yours is the only stakes and sole group 1 winner by his sire St Jean (IRE), an imported son of Darley's Teofilo (IRE), who began his career in Europe before heading to Australia and New Zealand.