Kerrin McEvoy announced his return home to Sydney with five of the nine Randwick winners and he closed out his handful of victories with success aboard the Gerald Ryan-trained Washington Heights.
Ryan’s stable deserved the win after his stable stalwart Red Excitement stuck it to Winx in the Chelmsford Stakes in front of a disappointing crowd of just 9103 to watch Australia’s best racehorse record her 19th successive win.
McEvoy's other winners were Up 'N' Rolling, Embley, Redzel and Formality.
McEvoy and Chris Waller shared most of the limelight at Randwick on Saturday and deservedly also in my column this week.
"I’M NOT THAT SORT OF RIDER”
Visiting rider Michael Walker was put under pressure by stewards at Randwick on Saturday in the aftermath of his ride aboard the Chris Waller-trained My Giuliano in the National Jockeys Trust Benchmark 84 Handicap (2000m).
Walker was hauled before stewards to explain why My Giuliano had shifted out rounding the home turn to give the odds-on favourite and stablemate Up ‘N’ Rolling a dream run before recording his second win of this current campaign.
Stewards asked Walker did he know Up ‘N’ Rolling was behind the leaders and back to his inside to which he emphatically replied, "No”.
"I was on empty, I barely got over the line,” Walker told stewards.
"When a horse is on empty and you try to get around a corner, it starts floating.”
After reviewing the footage stewards conceded there was no evidence that Walker was aware of where Up ‘N’ Rolling was in the run and took no further action.
"It is clear your horse is under pressure at the corner when you place it under pressure,” chief steward Marc Van Gestel said.
Walker replied; "I’m not that sort of rider to be a team rider,” before leaving the stewards room.
The run presents for Up' N' Rolling at the top of the straight and he puts paid to his rivals in Race 2 at #Randwick. pic.twitter.com/eiw3IMD9g3
— Sky Racing (@SkyRacingAU) September 2, 2017
MCEVOY WANTS ANOTHER JAPANESE EXPERIENCE
Multiple Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Kerrin McEvoy says he’d like to ride again in Japan after having a taste of their racing in the recent World All-Star Jockeys’ Invitational series.
McEvoy didn’t ride a winner during the two-day riding challenge which was won by top Canadian jockey Eurico Da Silva.
"It was a great experience,” McEvoy said. "My best result in the four series races was a fourth but I was lucky enough to ride a winner on Sunday.
"The noticeable difference between Japanese and Australian racing is how fast the races are run over there.
"It really struck me how quick they go, how genuinely the races are run.
"I’d love to go back there one day and ride for a month or so over the winter but we’ll see what happens in the future.”
EGG TART READY TO FOLLOW IN FOOTSTEPS OF ‘THAT HORSE’
Exciting galloper Egg Tart got "the butterflies” out of her system in an easy exhibition gallop at Randwick on Saturday.
The Australasian and Queensland Oaks winner is set to resume next Saturday at Rosehill in the Group II Theo Marks Stakes (1300m), the same race Winx won when resuming off her Queensland Oaks win in 2015.
Ridden by Kerrin McEvoy and galloping with stablemate Wayanka, the last 600m was run in a leisurely 36.46 second.
"She wasn’t out to break any records,” trainer Chris Waller said. "She’s exactly the same as that previous horse (Winx) we have in that she’s still developing and growing into a really good autumn four-year-old.”
Waller described Egg Tart as "a really good Epsom chance” and said the stable only has those two races locked in but it’s not priority one that she follows the path of Winx to the Cox Plate.
"From there we’ll probably go to a Myer or something,” Waller said. "She’s still developing and you’ll see her in a year’s time and she has grown up.”
Egg Tart is Sportsbet’s $7 favourite for the Epsom Handicap. Nominations for the $1m handicap on September 30 close on Monday with weights released on September 18.
Egg Tart levelled up with Wayanka in her gallop to run 36.46 for her last 600m @tabcomaupic.twitter.com/UKW7WxDRWX
— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) September 2, 2017
RIDING HARTNELL NOT AS BLACK AND WHITE AS YOU MAY THINK
It’s a nice problem to have but being one of the best jockeys in the land means good rides sometimes also make you forgo rides you don’t want to.
Kerrin McEvoy has been put in that position time and time again and it will happen again in two weeks when he heads south to partner Hartnell in the Group I Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington.
Let’s be clear, he’s definitely not complaining but a decision like that when approached by a stable isn’t as clear cut as many would expect.
"There’s so much to weigh up,” he said.
"There’s a lot of horses that will be racing in Sydney that day we’ve done a lot of work with and you don’t want to give someone else a chance on them.
"It’s a good position to be in, no doubt, but it’s hard to miss a big Sydney meeting when you’re grafting away week in week out.
"I know that sounds a bit silly because Hartnell’s the second-best horse in the land but there’s a lot of weighing things up that goes into a decision to give up a carnival day in your backyard.”
Hartnell returns with a bang, blitzing the field in the Group 2 PB Lawrence Stakes. 💙 #TeamHartpic.twitter.com/Usg440nfw1
— Racing.com (@Racing) August 19, 2017
LET’S REVIEW THIS AT THE END OF THE AUTUMN
Every year there’s a few benchmark races run that if you look back upon at the end of the season you find they are in fact Group class races.
That could well be the case with the 3YO Benchmark 75 Handicap (1300m) at Randwick on Saturday.
The race was won by the impressive Super Ex with Chris Waller’s $1.6m Frankel colt Merovee storming home for second ahead of Godolphin’s Beau Geste which was first-up from a spell.
Another solid indicator to the strength of the race is that six of the eight runners firmed in on-course betting at some point.
Only time will tell but I’m tipping by the end of the autumn next year at least three of the eight runners will be stakes winners.
Super Ex dictates proceedings in front and clings on to win the first on Chelmsford Stakes Day at #Randwick. pic.twitter.com/DRFKR29oDX
— Sky Racing (@SkyRacingAU) September 2, 2017
GLOAMING NEXT FOR SMART HAWKESBURY WINNER
Chris Waller say's Saturday’s impressive Hawkesbury winner Augustus "won’t be out of place” when he next runs in the Group III Gloaming Stakes (1800m) at Rosehill on September 23.
Augustus has a rich stayer’s pedigree, being a half-brother to AJC Australian Derby winner Roman Emperor and Tulloch Stakes placegetter Rios, himself now a Group I-producing stallion in New Zealand.
Augustus came from back near the tail of the field to overhaul his opponents in a slowly-run Livamol 3YO Maiden Plate (1600m), where the last 600m was clocked in a slick 34.04 seconds.
"Well spotted,” Waller said when asked about Augustus. "We don’t often ring a jockey pre-race but we spoke to Grant Buckley this morning and told him it’s an important race for this horse.
"He’s got the job done so now he’s off to the Gloaming Stakes. It’s a big step but he needs the 1800m.
"I think he’s a smart horse in the making and he’s just starting to get organised.
"He won’t be out of place in the Gloaming and that will tell us a lot regarding the remainder of the spring.”
Waller said races like the Spring Champion Stakes and Victoria Derby are on the table for Augustus, a son of superstar stallion Snitzel.
