Kerrin McEvoy will ride She Will Reign when she resumes in the Moir Stakes
Kerrin McEvoy will be aboard Golden Slipper winner She Will Reign when she resumes in the Moir Stakes, replacing Craig Williams’ who has been sidelined by suspension.
Williams had been booked for the Gary Portelli-trained filly with regular rider Ben Melham unable to get to the 50kg she will carry in the weight-for-age race over 1000m at Moonee Valley on September 29.
Melham has committed to ride the filly at 51kg in the $10 million Everest on October 14 but the extra kilogram is out of play.
Williams copped a hefty careless riding suspension at Flemington on Saturday which rules him out for three weeks.
McEvoy will get acquainted with She Will Reign when she runs in a 900m-barrier trial at Rosehill on Tuesday, her second this preparation.
“She has done very well and will have a solid hit-out on Tuesday,” Portelli said.
“I’m very happy with her condition. We have weighed her at 494 kilos and I expect her to race at 490.
She Will Reign has been beaten just once in five starts when second to Frolic in the Reisling Stakes in the lead-up to the Slipper.
Four of those five starts have been on wet tracks but Portelli believes she will be even more effective on top of the ground, pointing to her debut in December as proof.
On a good track, She Will Reign, who was ridden by apprentice Deanne Panya, came within .01sec of Emilia’s 1000m-track record set in 2011.
She Will Reign was the first horse confirmed for a slot in the subscription-based Everest after syndicator Scott Darby struck a deal with Yulong Investments.
A $20,000 yearling, She Will Reign has returned her group of owners more than $2.5 million.
