Give Giggles makes it three
Trainers Tony & Calvin McEvoy, with jockey Harry Coffey, were the ones laughing when Give Giggles dashed away to win the A Grade Sheds Benchmark 70 on Ballarat Cup day, Saturday, December 9.
The victory gave the McEvoys and Coffey a winning treble from the opening three events on Ballarat’s biggest day.
Sunset Dreaming and Arabian Summer looked impressive in their victories, and Give Giggles was just as dominant.
A well backed $3.40 favourite, the four-year-old mare cruised home 3-1/2 lengths clear of Cadboll ($51) with Cavallo Rampante ($8), 1-1/4 lengths away third.
Coffey had Give Giggles away well trailing the lead to the home turn before bringing her into the open turning for home.
Asked to extend, the mare sprinted strongly to win easily.
Trainer Tony McEvoy was proud to have taken out the opening three races on Ballarat Cup day.
It was Give Giggle’s third win from her past four starts with the defeat at Flemington.
“It wasn’t her fault that day,” McEvoy said.
“I made a call on the day that we didn’t think we could get out to the spot you needed to get to, so we stayed in and it really backfired on us.
“So, we have just kept her fresh, done a bit of dressage work, and it is such an advantage to just walk across the road.
“She is three from three here, and I think the other thing that improves her a touch is the conditions.
“She was fabulous today on the soft ground.
“I think what we are learning with her on the ground, I would like to stop and wait.
“She is owned in Queensland, and she might be a mare that could go to Queensland next winter.
“Give Giggles is a handy filly who can come up a bit more.”
Winning jockey Harry Coffey believes Give Giggles is still improving.
“Today was the best feel she has given me,” Coffey said.
“She showed a nice turn of foot in that (soft) ground.
“She felt really nice underneath me when she let go.
“We had a nice run, and all went her way, but I thought it was a pretty good win and gave me a nice feel.
“Our mare is a horse on the way up, and once that gap came she was always going to be hard to beat.
“She is going really well as is all the McEvoy team.”