Highly fancied for some time leading into today’s $5m Group 1 MRC Caulfield Cup (2400m), the Tony and Calvin McEvoy trained Half Yours didn’t let his supporters down as jockey Jamie Melham created history in becoming the first female jockey to win the time-honoured race.
Showing his class with an impressive win in the Listed Caloundra Cup in July, St Jean 5yo Half Yours has continued to step up at each and every start since, earning a ballot-free exemption two starts back when winning the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes with ease.
Finishing fourth last time out in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes behind then Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup favourite Sir Delius, who has since been sensationally scratched from both races, Half Yours jumped away the dominant favourite from barrier 2.
Settling in a mid-field position with the second favourite Meydaan (IRE) on her outside, Melham was content to race where the gelding was comfortable while the Kris Lees trained Adelaide River (IRE) made a lightning move to the lead, pulling many lengths clear at the 1200m mark to inject some pace into the race.
With 700m to run, Adelaide River was still eight lengths clear, racing about three or four horses off the fence, but the runs were starting to come and when the home turn was reached, the baldy-faced Deakin was one of the first to come out of the pack, but most were looking for the favourite who had come to the outside of the field to make his run.
At the 200m mark, Adelaide River was still in the lead, but there was no petrol in the tank as Half Yours charged down the outside while Chris Waller-trained River Of Stars (IRE), the outsider of the field was starting to show up along the inside.
Hitting the lead, Half Yours pulled away from the field to win by just under a half length margin from River Of Stars, while last start Group 3 Bart Cummings winner Valiant King (GB), a stablemate to River Of Stars, had worked his way through the field from the tail for third.
Working home down the outside into fourth was the first of the international contingent, with the Alessandro Botti-trained French galloper Presage Nocturne doing his Group 1 Melbourne Cup claims no harm.
With Half Yours elevated to favourite for the Melbourne Cup, ahead of the Australian Bloodstock raced Al Riffa, the Caulfield Cup top five now fill five of the top seven positions in betting for the first Tuesday in November.
Clearly ecstatic with the victory, co-trainer Tony McEvoy noted what an incredible achievement it was for the team.
“This is why we do it, to have a runner in these, and they're bloody hard to win, and that was incredible,” beamed McEvoy.
“He's come a long way in six months, this fellow, hasn't he? And travelling really grows horses up, and he was a big raw horse.
“The way he came into the paddock today, he looked like he'd arrived as a stayer. And then he went and did that today, so it was very exciting.
“I was so happy in the run, and then when mid-race that horse took off, I thought this is not ideal, because if someone panics, it dishevels everything.
“But then he got into his rhythm and did the rest. It was fabulous, and I'm looking forward to watching it again.”
The successful father and son partnership has come a long way.
“I think he might be nice to me for a little while now! Like it's very important, like it's quite a proud moment for me to be able to do it with Cal, and yeah, it's a really enjoyable moment for me.
“I mean, I was hoping he was going to be a doctor or something, but look, it was such a joy for me, for him to want to follow in my footsteps. In this business, you don't own many things; in this business, what you've got is your intellectual property, and if you've got no one to pass it to, it's gone.
“And so to have Cal seeing what I've done over my time and now take it to another level, and he's added an immense arm to the business with the technology that they've got today. I'm a bit too old school myself for that stuff, so that's what's made us better. But this is extremely special, and it won't be the last one of these, I'm sure.”
Co-trainer Calvin McEvoy has said all along what an easy horse Half Yours is to train.
“He’s just been so easy the whole way along,” said McEvoy. “He’s been a horse that we've found really easy, and when we went to Queensland, it was the making of him.”
“In this game it's really hard to get a start, and obviously I'm lucky to be in a privileged position.”
“I don't know what to say. He's supported me and given me an opportunity in this great game.”
Riden a treat by Jamie Melham, Calvin was complimentary of her ability.
“She's class, and people have been saying she's a little bit out of form and class is permanent,” said McEvoy. “I want to thank Harry (Coffey), he's part of the team as well and he's done a lot of work on this horse, we’re just thrilled.”
Becoming the first female jockey to win the Caulfield Cup, Melham was very pleased with how everything went in the run.
“Everything was perfect; it worked out perfectly for him, and he had to dig deep and he's an absolute superstar horse. What Tony and Calvin have done with him, they've just made this absolute professional of a horse.
“He's push button; he doesn't like jumping that well, so I had to really get up him today, and he just spat the bit out and relaxed. Janice (McKenna) texted me yesterday and said she'd make sure Col would open those gaps for me, and he did, so thank you Col.”
“Just saying Caulfield Cup is going to make me cry. I've had an incredible career and ridden 17 Group Ones now, but that major has obviously eluded me, and I just wanted to get one.
“But now I want maybe three more, maybe a Melbourne Cup. This horse is going to run the trip out!”
Taking his record to seven wins and three second placed efforts from 14 starts and prizemoney of $3,841,840, Half Yours 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 the final foal 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 Victoria’s Brackley Park, St Jean’s fee has been raised to $11,000 (inc. GST) this season off the back of the success of his lone star runner.
