Tony McEvoy has a host of well-regarded two-year-olds in his stable and the talented Logan River gets his chance to stand up and be counted in a Group Three race at Caulfield.
Logan River makes his return in Saturday’s Chairman’s Stakes over 1000m, chasing his first win at his third career start.
The colt will wear blinkers on Saturday which McEvoy’s Melbourne foreman Michael Shepherdson believes will allow him to show his best.
“I think with the blinkers on you’ll see the real Logan River,” Shepherdson said.
“Tony gave him a jump-out at Gawler in blinkers and he really travelled quite strongly.
“From a nice barrier, he should get a really good run and be on the pace.”
Logan River started equal favourite on debut in a race at Sandown on December 2 and finished third behind Written By and stablemate Sanctimonious on a heavy track.
He was then taken to Sydney, along with Sanctimonious, for a crack at the $500,00 Inglis Nursery but got back in the field in his first start in the clockwise direction and Shepherdson said he did a lot wrong before working home late for sixth.
“This is the first time he gets to run on his Melbourne leg on nice ground with a good barrier,” Shepherdson said.
“With blinkers on, we’re pretty confident he’s going to put himself in the race.”
The stable has two runners in Saturday’s sales restricted $250,000 Inglis Premier (1200m) for two-year-olds including first starter Kinky Boom, a daughter of first season sire Spirit Of Boom.
Kinky Boom has been installed favourite after winning a barrier trial by 8-1/2 lengths in Adelaide on Monday.
“Kinky Boom is by the right stallion at the moment and there’s a lot of hype about her after her trial effort on Monday,” Shepherdson said.
“The first starters are always exciting to see because you don’t quite know if they’ll take their trial form to the races.”
Aristocratic Miss was placed in the Group Three Ottowa Stakes on debut at Flemington during spring and finished third at Morphettville over 1000m in her return a couple of weeks ago.
She also has blinkers on for Saturday.
“She’s done a couple of pieces of work with blinkers on and they’ve sharpened her right up,” Shepherdson said.
“She’ll travel quite nicely over 1200 with the blinkers on and give a good shout as well. She’s a good quality filly.”
The McEvoy-trained Sunlight won the $2 million Magic Millions Classic at the Gold Coast and is the early favourite for the $2.5 million Golden Slipper in March.
