Kerrin McEvoy hopes to finish the final month of an injury-plagued season on the right note and got off to the perfect start with victory in the opening event at Rosehill on Saturday.
McEvoy has had a stellar year in Group One races, riding the winners of all five two-year-old features, but his numbers in the Sydney premiership are down on previous campaigns. 
“I’ve set myself the goal of riding 10 city winners before the end of the season and that’s three since I returned on Wednesday from a suspension,” McEvoy said after partnering the Chris Waller-trained Rain Melody to victory in the Lynch Flowers Handicap (1200m).
“My numbers have been down a bit on recent seasons because of injuries so it would be nice to get a few more before the season ends.”
Darley’s number one jockey missed the first three months of the 2010/11 season recovering from a fractured vertebra in his back and then was on the sidelines for another month when he fell from Tinseltown in the Group One Sydney Cup in April and broke two ribs.
Rain Melody’s long head victory over Recorrido took McEvoy’s season tally in Sydney to 49.5 wins, placing him just outside the top five in the premiership.
McEvoy positioned Rain Melody ($6) just worse than midfield with cover and the four-year-old was able to chase down Recorrido ($4.40) in the straight with Hide ‘N’ Dash ($21) another 1-3/4 lengths away third.
“It was a good effort, we had the right run, she was back in trip from her last start and the speed on helped her get home at the finish,” McEvoy said.
Race favourite Redhandedjill drifted on track from $2.80 to $3.90 and disappointed, finishing last of the eight runners after box-seating to the turn.
“She was pretty disappointing today,” jockey Robert Thompson said.
“She travelled well to the corner but was the first one beaten.”
AAP TURF
