Father-and-son training partners Tony and Calvin McEvoy acknowledge the task their star stayer Half Yours faces when he bids to defend his Caulfield Cup (G1) crown Oct. 17, but are facing the challenge head on.
Half Yours rises from 52.5 kilograms in last year's edition, to the top weight of 57.5 kilograms for this year's historic 150th renewal at Caulfield Racecourse. However, Calvin McEvoy is taking confidence from the fact top weights have landed the prestigious group 1 in the past.
"The history of the Caulfield Cup shows that it can be won by a topweight and that gives us confidence," McEvoy said. "Comparing that to the Melbourne Cup, it is a much more difficult task but, at the end of the day, we have an elite stayer that is great at 2,400 and 3,200 meters. If we're too scared to run with big weights, we'll be leaving him at home in the box. We have to attack the challenge head on, and we have good faith in the horse that he can do it."
Half Yours enters the 2,400-meter (about 1 1/2-mile) race having finished fifth, beaten 6 1/2 lengths, in the Turnbull Stakes (G1) behind expected Caulfield Cup favorite Cosmic Crusader.
Regal Ambition Steps UP in Guineas
Regal Ambition will take favoritism into Saturday's Thousand Guineas (G1) at Caulfield, with jockey Michael Dee confident the Lindsay Park filly can overcome barrier 11. Dee has partnered Regal Ambition to two wins from as many starts this preparation, including the Jim Moloney Stakes where she defeated then-Guineas favorite Pretty Baby. Regal Ambition is the fifth foal out of Dame Pattie, an unraced daughter of 2005 champion 3-year-old filly Alinghi.
"She's got a lovely action and great turn of foot," Dee said. The filly had earlier resumed with a strong 1,200-meter (about 6-furlong) maiden victory at Sandown and has now won two of three starts. Victory in the AU$1 million dollar feature would provide her sire Palace Pier with his first group 1 winner.
God's Window Out to Upset Autumn Glow
Having pulled off an upset victory in the Epsom Handicap (G1) aboard God's Window, rider Siena Grima is hoping to produce something similar this weekend as she again takes the mount on the Chris Waller-trained gelding in the Oct. 17 King Charles III Stakes (G1) at Randwick Racecourse. The pair scored in the Epsom as a AU$26 chance, and will have a smaller field to deal with this weekend, as well as being much worse off at the weights with Epsom runner-up Ceolwulf.
"I thought maybe one day in my career I might get a chance to ride in a group 1, let alone have won one already," Grima said. "So to go again in another one and on a brilliant horse like him against Autumn Glow and Militarise, it's very exciting. Twelve months ago I was still in the bush. I was glad to see a nice barrier draw (2) for him. He can jump well so he can put himself in a nice spot."
While on even weights with the other three geldings in the five-horse field, it's his stablemate and lone mare in the race that is likely to give him the most trouble. Reigning Australian Horse of the Year Autumn Glow returns to Randwick following wins in the Aug. 22 Winx Stakes (G1) and Sept. 19 Seven Sunrise Stakes (G2) for Waller and is slated to break from gate 4 with James McDonald aboard as the heavy favorite.
