Few would argue Tony McEvoy’s credentials as a smart operator and the experienced horseman’s eye for quality and planning is coming together so far with emerging stayer Half Yours.
That strategy could raise as high as the 2025 Caulfield Cup.
The four-year-old gelding has raced in Victoria, New South Wales and in Queensland in his five runs this preparation and has crowned it with victory in the Listed Caloundra Cup (2400m).
What cannot be discounted, or if you are one for omens, should Half Yours make it to the Group 1 2400-metre staying jewel in four months’ time, is that this card at the Sunshine Coast also saw 2024 Melbourne Cup (3200m) winner Knight’s Choice win the Group 3 Winx Guineas (1600m) the year before.
“He’s a horse we sourced and purchased and thought he was the right article and he showed that today that he’s the horse we’d hoped for,”
“He looks to have a bright staying future.”
Ridden by Ash Morgan, Half Yours ($3.50 betting favourite) won by an impressive 4½-length margin over the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Bear On The Loose ($4.20) with Felix The Scat ($17) 2-¼ lengths away in third.
“The whole idea was to come here and get his rating up so we can target some races in the spring,” McEvoy said.
“He’s achieved that now so we’ll back off him and have a spell but he’ll go to a water walker and tick over and have a little reward for a few weeks – keeping his muscle and then we’ll take him home and see where we’ll go.”
“He’s a proper, proper horse and he got into a nice spot and switched off for me,” Morgan said.
“His strength is that he relaxes really well in the run and has an explosive turn-of-foot. He put them to bed.
“Down in the weights, and there’s a lot of good races over two miles, there’s not really any ceiling for that.”
Morgan and the McEvoys also combined with Mr Verse ($4.40) winning the open event on the card.
