Former Irish galloper Cape Of Good Hope will have his second start for Tony and Calvin McEvoy in the Golden Mile at Bendigo.
A former member of the Aidan O’Brien team in Ireland, Cape Of Good Hope came to Australia having been purchased by Lindsay Park and associated clients and on the day of departing quarantine won the Group 1 Caulfield Stakes (2000m) in October 2019.
Big things were expected from Cape Of Good Hope in subsequent starts, but the son of Galileo has been a flop since finishing towards the tail, or at the tail, in his eight starts.
Having his first start in 17 months when running first-up for the McEvoy’s, Cape Of Good Hope again failed to beat a runner home at Flemington over 1600m on March 19.
Tony McEvoy said Cape Of Good Hope ran only ‘half-a-race’ that day and is expecting some improvement in Saturday’s Listed race over 1600m.
But at the same time, McEvoy is expecting Cape Of Good Hope to gain further fitness and may need another start before striking form.
“He was fair first-up, but he was ring rusty as he had been off the scene for a long time,” McEvoy said.
“We were always going to forgive him for his first-up run and he ran half-a-race to me. He got to the turn and then blew out.
“On that he’ll need another one and then we’ll get him out to 2000Â metres.
“I want him to go further into the race this time and 2000 is his best form, but he’s going to need a good, strong hit-out and maybe even one more, so we’ll see what he does on Saturday.”
McEvoy said Cape Of Good Hope underwent a throat operation before starting out with his stable and said there had been no reoccurrence of that complaint.
He added the now six-year-old entire appeared to still want to be a racehorse.
“On the track he seems interested, happy, he’s breathing well and his soundness is good,” McEvoy said.
“Knowing what he’s got under the bonnet, there’s nothing to tell me he can’t bring it out again.”
