Tony McEvoy is after a second win in the VRC Sires Produce Stakes at Flemington
Tony McEvoy didn’t get the opportunity for a long celebration after his career-defining Group One win at Flemington.
He flew home to the Barossa Valley in South Australia after Hey Doc’s win in Saturday’s Australian Guineas and spent Sunday at Balaklava races where he had four placings from seven runners.
The win by Hey Doc was his first Group One win since leaving Lindsay Park and branching out on his own in 2010.
McEvoy is after a second win in the VRC Sires Produce Stakes at Flemington on Saturday where he has Aspect and Coppergate engaged.
The 2004 VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes winner, Barely A Moment gave McEvoy one of his three previous Group One wins when he was in charge of the Lindsay Park operation when David Hayes was in Hong Kong.
In 2005 the race was relegated to Group Two status.
McEvoy said Aspect, who will be ridden by Guineas winning jockey Luke Currie, should be ideally suited by Saturday’s 1400 metres while he is throwing Coppergate, a maiden after two runs, in the deep end.
Aspect showed his ability with a debut win in the Maribyrnong Plate at Flemington in the spring but has failed to fill a place in two Caulfield runs this campaign.
But McEvoy was happy with Aspect’s ninth place in the Blue Diamond Stakes on February 25.
“He had the third best sections in the Blue Diamond,” McEvoy said.
“He was very strong through the line and the Flemington 1400 metres will be ideal for him I believe.
“I know that he’s good enough at this level having won the Maribyrnong Plate.”
Coppergate, to be ridden by Steven Arnold, ran a debut second behind Jukebox in the Inglis Premier at Caulfield on February 4 before finishing seventh to Eshtiraak over 1300m at Sandown 18 days later.
McEvoy said he was prepared to forgive Coppergate for his latest performance.
“He was very good at his first start but then got it all a bit wrong at his second start at Sandown,” McEvoy said.
“I’m pretty comfortable to forgive him for that race and even though it’s an aggressive placement for him I think we’ll learn a lot more about the horse.”
McEvoy says the performances of the pair on Saturday will determine whether they further their campaigns in Sydney.
