Tony McEvoy hasn’t enjoyed the best of luck with his team in the Melbourne spring carnival so far and is looking for a turnaround when The Messina Nymph lines up at Caulfield.
The trainer has lost Alpine Eagle, Bull Point and Manuel for the spring and is pinning his hopes on The Messina Nymph, his only Caulfield runner on Saturday.
The mare will be defending the Listed Alinghi Stakes (1100m) and goes to the race with similar form credentials as last year.
Before she won the 2014 Alinghi, The Messina Nymph was successful in a benchmark 82 race at Morphettville and this time comes off a stakes win at the Adelaide course.
“She’s three times a stakes winner and we thought we’d come back and follow the same path as last year,” McEvoy said.
“She’s well, her win the other day was very strong.
“This is a stronger race of course but it’s a grade she’s been to before.”
McEvoy brought the mare across from his base at Angaston in South Australia to Flemington early and said she has settled in well.
The Messina Nymph is the $5 equal favourite with the Kris Lees-trained Brook Road who finished less than two lengths from the winner Buffering when seventh in the Group One Moir Stakes earlier this month.
McEvoy said although he only had one runner at Caulfield he expected to have a few more over the two-day Cox Plate carnival at Moonee Valley.
“My spring has been derailed a little bit with Bull Point, Alpine Eagle and Manuel, so its a quiet weekend this weekend, but we’ll be a bit stronger next weekend,” he said.
