Darley jockey Kerrin McEvoy ruled himself out of racing for at least another week after a hectic Tuesday morning schedule did nothing to ease his concern over a knee complaint.
McEvoy made a special appearance at Flemington trackwork in Melbourne to ride top two-year-old Earthquake before catching a 6am flight to Sydney.
He arrived at Rosehill just in time to partner Darley’s pin-up filly Guelph in a barrier trial.
Guelph, one of Australia’s best three-year-old fillies, won her heat in preparation for a return to racing in the Light Fingers Stakes.
But while McEvoy was happy with Earthquake’s work and Guelph’s first public hit-out since winning the Thousand Guineas, he was less enthusiastic about his fitness.
McEvoy, who hurt his knee in a race fall in New Zealand last week, will have a scan to determine the extent of the injury.
“It’s just not reacting as well as I would have liked,” McEvoy said after riding Guelph’s half-sister Ghibellines in a later Rosehill heat.
McEvoy will pass up the Blue Diamond Prelude ride on Earthquake at Caulfield on Saturday.
He was booked to return to riding with six mounts at Canterbury on Wednesday but has told Racing NSW officials he will not be back in the saddle until next week at the earliest.
Guelph looked in superb order under a McEvoy stranglehold at Rosehill to win her heat by almost three lengths from stablemate Malice.
She clocked 53.8 seconds for the 900m trial.
Hugh Bowman has been booked to partner Guelph in the Light Fingers at Randwick on February 22 with McEvoy committed to riding at the Blue Diamond Stakes meeting at Caulfield.
Earthquake is one of the favourites for the Blue Diamond Stakes after winning her only start in fast time at Randwick in November.
She was sent over 800m at Flemington and clocked 23.62 seconds for her final 400m.
