In little more than a week Kerrin McEvoy has claimed Group One wins on short priced favourites but he is looking to snare the Caulfield Cup on an outsider.
High profile Darley three-year-olds Sepoy and Helmet have given McEvoy wins in the Manikato Stakes and Caulfield Guineas respectively and he has elected to ride Shootoff in his pursuit of a second Caulfield Cup (2400m).
McEvoy won the 2008 Cup on $41 chance All The Good who wore Darley owner Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin colours.
After discussions with his manager Glenn Darcy, McEvoy opted for the Graeme and Debbie Rogerson-trained Queensland Derby winner who was an encouraging second to My Kingdom Of Fife in the Craven Plate at his third start since his Group One win in June.
Darcy said he believed Shootoff was coming to hand at the right time and they had opted for him over English horse Saptapadi.
“He wasn’t far from My Kingdom Of Fife last time and also as a three-year-old he was a close fourth in the Doomben Cup just behind Glass Harmonium,” he said.
My Kingdom Of Fife was among the leading Cox Plate contenders until injury put paid to his campaign last week.
McEvoy rode Glass Harmonium to a close second in the Turnbull Stakes won by Caulfield Cup favourite December Draw.
The Mark Kavanagh-trained December Draw was at $2.60 on Sunday ahead of the heavily supported German import Lucas Cranach at $8.50 while Shootoff was an $81 chance.
Lucas Cranach was at $101 in both the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups when Lee Freedman travelled to Europe to collect him and bring him home to his brother Anthony’s stable.
Four of Lucas Cranach’s wins have been over the 2400 metres of Saturday’s race.
While McEvoy is in demand over the carnival, it will be lean picking at the dinner table for the jockey who has committed to ride three-year-old Helmet at 49.5kg in the Cox Plate on October 22.
It will be the lightest McEvoy has ridden since he steered Viscount to an unlucky third in the 2001 Cox Plate behind Northerly and Sunline.
Helmet’s Caulfield Guineas win over Manawanui propelled him to favouritism for the Cox Plate, displacing New Zealander Jimmy Choux.
AAP TURF
