Inglis Digital – the world’s leading online thoroughbred sales platform – today celebrated a landmark day in its short history when star graduate Half Yours won the $10m G1 Melbourne Cup.
On a memorable afternoon at Flemington, the father-son training combination of Tony and Calvin McEvoy celebrated the day of their lives with their 5YO son of St Jean they discovered for sale online a little over 12 months ago.
He was purchased for $305,000 from the 2024 Inglis Digital November (Late) Online Sale by Belmont Bloodstock/McEvoy Mitchell Racing.
Half Yours, which was offered as part of the Halo Racing Unreserved Reduction Sale following the death of Colin McKenna, was bred by McKenna’s wife Janice.
At the time of the auction, Half Yours had raced five times for two wins – at Geelong and Cranbourne – for earnings of just shy of $40,000.
His description on his sale page read as follows
CLASSY RACING PROSPECT
Height: 16.2hh
Weight: 516kg
Lightly raced with a very impressive race record. From just 5 starts Half Yours has had 2 wins and has come 2nd once making his race record 5-2-1-0.
A sharp improver up in distance, Half Yours sat near last in running before making a circling run around the home turn to win by 6L at Cranbourne at just his 4th start.
Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to purchase a progressive miler to middle distance horse that has the ability to perform in Saturday metropolitan races.
Since the purchase, Half Yours (pictured) has raced 10 times for six wins (including the G1 Melbourne Cup, G1 Caulfield Cup, G3 Naturalism Stakes and Listed Caloundra Cup) and $9.2m in prizemoney.
Half Yours became just the 13th horse in history to win the Caulfield Cup/Melbourne Cup double today.
Half Yours is one of 112 G1-winning Inglis graduates since 2018 and becomes the fourth G1 winner sold outright through Inglis Digital, joining She’s Extreme, Mariamia and Bella Vella.
Winning co-trainer Tony McEvoy was a proud victor today.
“What a joy. This is our great race and it’s just so special to win it,’’ Tony said.
“It’s an incredible moment. From the days we grew up, the Melbourne Cup was everything. It’s been a great race for the McEvoy family – Kerrin has won it three times, my brother owned a horse that ran 2nd in it and now for us to be able to win it, it’s just amazing.’’
His son Calvin struggled to find the right words post-race to describe the emotion and enormity of the occasion.
“Unbelievable. Wow, I don’t know what to say. He’s come out of nowhere and he’s done the [Caulfield Cup/Melbourne Cup] double,’’ Calvin said.
“I saw him at the 600m that he was still on the bridle and I thought ‘wow, he just needs to stay the trip’ and he did. It was an amazing ride from Jamie [Melham]. This is what it’s all about. It’s unbelievable.
“What a horse, he’s just continued to raise the bar. It’s been amazing, it’s been such a big team effort.’’
Inglis Digital Business Manager Nick Melmeth added: “I’m so pleased for all the owners of Half Yours, Tony and Calvin and Damon, what an unbelievable result for them and an unbelievable result for Inglis Digital.
“We’re eternally grateful to Janice McKenna for offering the Halo Racing draft on Inglis Digital last year after Colin’s sad passing and I’m sure Col was looking down at Flemington today and riding the race with Jamie.
“It’s a proud day for Inglis Digital. Our platform continues to go from strength to strength and the success of graduates on the track in recent times has been nothing short of extraordinary and to now have claim to a Melbourne Cup winner is amazing.’’
The next chance to purchase a horse online like Half Yours comes tomorrow, when the Inglis Digital November (Early) Sale closes for bidding from 10am.
A total of 302 lots have been catalogued for the sale, including a share in Morisu Ojo – which will contest Thursday’s G1 VRC Oaks at Flemington – and the progressive 3YO colt Equerry (Snitzel), which won at Randwick today for Chris Waller.
To view the catalogue CLICK HERE.
Meanwhile at Morphettville today Air Assault (Justify) made it a seventh career Stakes success when winning the Listed John Letts Cup.
The Andrew Gluyas-trained and Toorak Thoroughbred Breeding Trust-bred 5YO is a Premier Yearling Sale graduate of Stonehouse Thoroughbreds and has now won $900,000 in prizemoney.
