With just 51kgs on his back in the upcoming $5m Group 1 MRC Caulfield Cup (2400m), and now exempt from the ballot, the dominant victory of Tony and Calvin McEvoy's Half Yours in Saturday’s Group 3 MRC Naturalism Stakes (2000m) suggests the 5yo son of St Jean will be very hard to beat.
Initially set to race at Saturday’s Randwick meeting where he had accepted in both the Group 3 ATC Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) where he was an emergency, as well as the $1m ATC 7 Stakes (1600m), a last-minute decision saw the gelding sent back to Melbourne in the hopes of securing a Naturalism start.
As fate would have it, Birdman was a scratching from the Naturalism Stakes and stayed in Sydney where he duly won the Kingston Town Stakes, giving the Jamie Melham ridden Half Yours a position in the field.
When the runners finally sorted themselves out, Melham had Half Yours travelling on the rail in fourth position, getting a lovely trail into the race.
As the runs were starting to come from back in the field, Brayden Star (GB) (Twilight Son) led the field into the home straight and with the horse on his outside weakening considerably, it presented Melham with a gap and she charge through it take the lead.
Extending away like a good horse, the favourite had the race all sewn up as he secured the win by three and a half lengths from Berkshire Breeze (IRE) (Mastercraftsman) who worked home steadily.
Jason Warren’s Grand Pierro (pierro) showed a retuned to form, finishing third to narrowly nudge out Group 1 South Australian Derby runner-up Statuario (D’Argento) who was having just his second run this time in.
Taking his record to six wins and three second placed performances from 12 starts with earnings of $478,090, the victory secured the gelding a ballot free expemtpion position in the final field for the $5m Group 1 MRC Caulfield Cup (2400m) to be run on October 18.
With question marks on whether he would go to Sydney and be aimed at the Group 1 ATC The Metropolitan (2400m) or Melbourne and be aimed at the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m), the decision now appears to made itself after Saturday's win.
When quizzed about how the stable came to have Half Yours, co-trained Calvin McEvoy did the explaining.
"He was put on that Inglis digital sale, Rayan Moore, our racing manager, found him, we loved the profile, he had a good rating and we really wanted to get him," McEvoy said. "We didn't think we'd have to spend the money we did but thank God we did.
“Ever since we've had him, he's been straightforward, been a lovely horse to train and we haven't got to his ceiling yet."
Also asked if it would be Melbourne or Sydney, it now looks like the stable have a clear goal.
“That was the big question through the week,” said McEvoy.
“Dad and I, we tossed up what to do. He was in Sydney, we always had planned to run him in Kingston Town and at the last minute decided to accept here and we always knew that if he came down here to Melbourne and won, he'd probably stay here.
“Look, he's in the Caulfield Cup now, he's proven on a good track, so I think we'll be all systems going to the Caulfield Cup.
“He's a very fit horse. Look, another run won't do him any harm. I feel like he could go straight to a mile-and-a-half now would be no problem.
“We'll get through today, we'll weigh up what we do, whether it's one more run a trial, I don't know, but it's bloody exciting for the whole team.”
Melham has very complimentary post-race on the future ability of Half Yours.
“I was about due to pull out a good ride today,” said Melham.
“This horse is just push-button. The only instructions I got from Tony was just to try and be as close as possible and once I gave him a squeeze, he put himself there and when the gap came he took it without hesitation.
“He's a very nice horse with a big, bright future I think.”
Asked if he will run out the 2400m of the Caulfield Cup, Melham sees no issues with it.
“I couldn't stop him just then,” said Melham. I think the further obviously the better, because he falls asleep, he relaxes in the run.
“He took probably 100 metres to hit his top and then there was no getting near him after that. Looking forward to hopefully keeping the ride and stepping up over 2400 with him."
The dual stakes winner was purchased for $305,000 by Belmont Bloodstock Pty Ltd and McEvoy Mitchell Racing from the Halo Racing Unreserved Reduction Sale (as agent) draft via the Inglis November (Late) Online Sale after initially being trained by the Ciaron Maher stable.
The first stakes winner for his sire St Jean (IRE), an imported son of Darley’s Teofilo who started his career in Europe before heading to Australia followed by ending his race career in New Zealand where his highlight performance came with success in the Group 3 City of Auckland Cup, Half Yours is one of three winners from five to the races out of the Desert King mare La Gazelle, a half-sister to the Group 3 winner Moudre (Belvic).
Having covered small books in each of his eight seasons at stud, St Jean (IRE) is listed as standing at a fee of $3,300 (inc. GST).
