Buoyed by a successful midweek raid, Tony and Calvin Mcevoy will unveil a pair of Metropolitan hopefuls at Rosehill including the pre-post favourite for the Group One staying feature.
The McEvoys produced Prestar for a win at Wednesdayâs Randwick Kensington meeting and will saddle up 2024 South Australian Derby heroine Coco Sun and relatively recent stable addition Half Yours in the Mounties Group Handicap (1500m) on Saturday.
The latter has been a revelation since joining the team this year winning three of his five starts, culminating in his 4-1/2 length romp in the Listed Caloundra Cup (2400m) in July.
âHe has been incredible. Heâs exciting us,â Tony McEvoy said.
âHe has come through the benchmarks and then he won that Caloundra Cup really impressively.
âI donât want to be rude about the race but Iâm not sure where that sits when you start talking about âMetropsâ and those races, but the market has got him favourite for it so I am very buoyed by that and the horse is fabulous.
âHe hasnât been out of training so he will run in that race on Saturday and then go to the Kingston Town (Stakes) and âMetropâ.â
Half Yours has been backed into $7 favouritism for The Metropolitan (2400m) on October 4 and is a $4 top pick for Rosehill despite drawing barrier 20.
Coco Sun was also handed a tough gate in18 and while underwhelmed by their alleys, McEvoy said the recent wet weather had interrupted their respective build-ups and both needed to get started.
âWe have tinkered a little bit with their preparations already with the changing of the trials so I donât think I can change again, otherwise I am going to get too far behind with them,â he said.
âWe will probably run them. Barriers win you races, donât they? But Iâve got Ashley Morgan and the young apprentice (Braith Nock) that is riding beautifully.
âThose guys are making good decisions so Iâll just let them ride the horse and hope for a bit of luck.â
Coco Sun hasnât won since the Derby but wasnât disgraced in some strong races last spring.
Being a heavy mare, McEvoy said it was imperative she had rain-affected ground and the firm conditions were the reason for her failure in the Tattersallâs Tiara (1400m) at Eagle Farm in June when she jarred up.
He is adamant she is showing all the right signs at home but wants to see her produce under race conditions.
âShe has got to start doing it race day. I couldnât be happier with her and all the data we do is telling us she is as good as when she was âgoodâ,â he said.
Coco Sun is also on a Metropolitan path and is a $26 chance for the Group 1.