Dubai-bound Helmet will ramp up preparations for his Melbourne and international assignments with a jumpout at Flemington on Friday.
The three-time Group One-winning colt has a two-race Melbourne campaign mapped out before he departs Australia to compete on World Cup night in Dubai in the UAE Derby.
Kerrin McEvoy is still waiting to hear whether he will be aboard Helmet and star stablemate Sepoy in their Dubai assignments on March 31, but he’ll be at Flemington on Friday morning to put the Caulfield Guineas winner through his paces.
McEvoy begins a two-week careless riding suspension after Thursday’s Australia Day meeting at Caulfield but will be kept busy with Darley’s big autumn carnival team preparing for their returns in trackwork and trials over the next few weeks.
“I’ll be in Melbourne on Thursday and I’ll stay there for Friday morning jumpouts for some two-year-olds as well as Helmet,” McEvoy said.
“Two weeks later Helmet has another jumpout and Sepoy has a jumpout in between so we’re going to be pretty busy.
“I’ll be up and down a bit and there’s a lot of trials up here in Sydney as well as trackwork.
“Jumpouts and trials are what you need to do to keep your eye in and I’ll be doing that to keep sharp and on the ball for when I return from suspension.”
Helmet and Sepoy have been preparing in Melbourne for their upcoming campaigns with Helmet set to resume in the CS Hayes Stakes on February 18 before the Australian Guineas, while Sepoy has been slated for a return in the Oakleigh Plate on February 25.
“I haven’t seen them yet this preparation but apparently they are looking good,” McEvoy said of the star duo.
“It’s always nice to start getting into the autumn, especially when there’s good quality horses to be riding.”
AAP TURF
