A wide gate has shaken his optimism but trainer Tony McEvoy is maintaining faith in his horse and rider ahead of Saturday’s BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes at Doomben.
McEvoy concedes talented South Australian youngster The Voice will face a tough task to win after drawing barrier 15 in the 16-strong field.
But that doesn’t mean he has given the race up as a lost cause.
Instead, McEvoy will bank on the experience of big-race jockey Glen Boss and the raw ability of his horse to overcome the bad draw.
“It’s a major negative. Doomben is not a track you can draw wide on,” McEvoy said.
“This is probably the fairest start, the 1350, because there is a big, long run down the back but it is a hurdle for him to jump, the barrier.
“Thankfully I’ve got a good jockey in Bossy on, and I’m really confident having Bossy to make all the right decisions.”
A son of exciting first-season sire Northern Meteor, The Voice is yet to finish further back than second in four South Australian starts and McEvoy believes he should probably be undefeated.
He earned a trip to Queensland when he made a successful transition to stakes grade last start, claiming the Group Three SA Sires’ Produce at Morphettville.
“He’s done a very good job for me. With an ounce of luck he could be unbeaten,” McEvoy said.
“His first start they went far too hard and he led and just got collared and in the Magic Millions in Adelaide he missed by a head and he was very stiff not to win that race.
“It’s a big step up in grade for him but I’ve got enough time for him to believe he is up to what I’m asking.”
The Voice finished second in a recent barrier trial at Doomben, an exercise aimed at familiarising him with the right-handed way of going.
McEvoy said the feedback from trial jockey Michael Cahill was positive.
“He was really complimentary about the horse. He said he handled the (soft) ground well and was comfortable going that way.”
