10 year celebration
Trainers Tony & Calvin McEvoy celebrated the 10-year anniversary of McEvoy Mitchell Racing when Winning Partner scored at Murray Bridge on Saturday, July 4.
Winning Partner brought up a Murray Bridge double for the trainers having won the opening event with the promising Hypersonic. It was also a double for jockey Barend Vorster.
A drifter from $5 to $9, the four-year-old came from second last to win the Fibretrack Handicap (1200m) by a half-length from Left Hand Man ($4.60) with Arkham Knight ($21), 1-1/2 lengths away third.
Trainer Tony McEvoy was delighted to celebrate the McEvoy Mitchell Racing milestone with another win.
“The fourth of July, 10 years since we started our business with Wayne Mitchell my business partner,” McEvoy said.
“We started with two horses and it has been a very interesting and very enjoyable 10 years.
“We’ve built a good team of horses and when The Brumby won here recently it was our 1000th winner.
“I’ve got really good people around me, and that is the key.
“I’ve really enjoyed the 10 and look forward to the next 10.”
McEvoy said he had made a gear change to try and help Winning Partner at Murray Bridge.
“He was a bit saucy first-up.
“He wanted to over race and really gave Barend a torrid ride, he was just a bit fresh.
“We put a cross nose band on him today and I told Barend to be so cool early and the horse relaxed nicely.
“He’s not a 1200 metre horse but I was too nervous to go further after what he did the other day.
“It was a really strong win.”
Winning jockey Barend Vorster said Winning Partner had plenty of talent.
“It is just a matter of getting him there mentally,” Vorster said.
“He has to learn he doesn’t have to do it upside down.
“I was a bit frustrated with myself last time he began so nice and easily last time but there was no pace.
“I couldn’t get any cover and he got there too early and I let him slide but first up he had had enough.
“Today, we changed the tactics around and he complied with it.
“He came back with me and settled beautifully.
“It took him a little while in the home straight to really find his straps but past the post he was really strong.
“Hopefully we have him in the right manners now and he’ll improve from here.”