Former Queensland sprinter Ef Troop will make his debut for his new stable in a Magic Millions race at Ballarat.
Having done his previous racing with Brisbane trainer Tony Gollan, Ef Troop is now in the care of Tony and Calvin McEvoy who have bases in South Australia and Victoria.
Tony McEvoy is looking forward to running the four-year-old for the first time in Saturday’s $150,000 Magic Millions 3&4YO Classic (1100m) at Ballarat after a build-up which has included two winning barrier trials in South Australia in the left-handed direction.
Ef Troop’s three wins from 12 starts include a stakes win as a two-year-old and a fourth placing to the McEvoy stable’s star filly Sunlight in the 2018 $2 million Magic Millions Classic at the Gold Coast.
He last raced in mid-July in Brisbane when second in a 1200m handicap for three-year-olds.
“He’s a quality horse, which his form suggests,” Tony McEvoy said.
“He arrived down to me from Tony Gollan’s in outstanding order.
“He took a few weeks just to use this leg but he’s had a couple of trials now and he has really pleased us.
“He’s a really free-running, fast horse. And he’s a big, powerful horse.
“I’m still learning about him but in his trials he’s been pretty solid.
“I don’t think he has been beating much in the trials but it’s the way he’s been doing it. If he can take that to the race, with my small knowledge of him, he’ll run a solid race for sure.”
Ef Troop is among the headline nominations for Saturday’s race, with the 24 entries also including Hawker Hurricane who won the Magic Millions 2YO Clockwise Classic on the corresponding program a year ago.
Trainer Ryan Balfour has nominated Li’l Kontra who has finished second in the Group Three Blue Sapphire Stakes and fourth in the Group One Coolmore Stud Stakes at her past two starts.
