With his tail up after a Ballarat Cup Day hat-trick, Tony McEvoy is now dreaming of the futures he could win with classy colt Veight in 2024.
The Caulfield Guineas runner-up is back in light work and not far off a return to the Ballarat stable McEvoy operates with son Calvin.
“He’s been on the water-walker down at Fulmen Park, Calvin went and saw him and he sent me a video and he’s a boy grown into a man,” McEvoy said from the Ballarat Cup Day meeting, where he won the first three races with Sunset Dreaming, Arabian Summer and Give Giggles.
“His length of hip now is incredible. He’s done beautifully, so I’m going to get him back into the stable next week.”
Veight has not started since the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on November 4, in which he finished fifth after beating home all bar Griff in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m).
The son of Grunt was the victim of late interference in the Guineas and while McEvoy had doubts about him as a miler in spring, Veight’s physical development during his break gives him hope that he will run a strong 1600 metres in 2024.
Veight’s main aim next year is the $10 million Golden Eagle (1500m) at Rosehill next spring.
“(We’re) maybe looking at the Australia Stakes, Orr (Stakes) and Futurity (Stakes) with the long-term plan being the Golden Eagle,” McEvoy said.
“I wouldn’t rule out the Australian Guineas because, he didn’t run a mile in the Caulfield Guineas, but just looking at the way he’s lengthened he will run a mile.
“It’s so exciting to have a horse of his quality. He showed in those two runs, in the Coolmore and the Caulfield Guineas, he’s an elite-level horse and we’ve just got to find the right race.”
The Group 2 Australia Stakes will be run at The Valley on 27 January with the CF Orr Stakes and Futurity Stakes – both 1400m weight-for-age races worth $750,000 at Caulfield – to be run on February 10 and 24 respectively.
The $1 million Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) is at Flemington on March 2.
