Half Yours outstanding Cup win
PIC: Courtesy Michael McInally/Racing Queensland
Talented Half Yours has an exciting spring campaign ahead following his victory in the $300,000 Listed Haymans Caloundra Cup (2400m) on Saturday, July 5.
The Tony & Calvin McEvoy-trained ex-New Zealander exploded over the final 400 metres leaving his rivals floundering.
Half Yours, backed from a general quote of $8 into $3.50 favourite, raced away to a 4-1/2 length win from Bear On The Loose ($4.20) with Felix The Scat ($17), two lengths away third.
The winner was ridden by Ashley Morgan and brought up a double with the trainers having also won the opening event with Mr Verse.
The McEvoys are going to aim Half Yours towards the $5 million Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) at Caulfield on October 18 as a first major target.
It is worth remembering that the 2024 Melbourne Cup winner Knightâs Choice won the Group 3 Winx Guineas (1600m) at the corresponding meeting a year earlier.
Half Yours has raced in Victoria, New South Wales and in Queensland in his five runs this preparation for the McEvoys and has capped it with victory in the Caloundra Cup.
“He’s a horse we sourced and purchased and thought he was the right article, and he showed that today that he’s the horse we’d hoped for,” McEvoy said.
“He looks to have a bright staying future.
“The whole idea was to come here and get his rating up so we can target some races in the spring.
“He’s achieved that now, so we’ll back off him and have a spell, but he’ll go to a water walker and tick over and have a little reward for a few weeks – keeping his muscle and then we’ll take him home and see where we’ll go.”
Winning jockey Ashley Morgan agreed Half Yours has better wins ahead.
“He’s a proper, proper horse and he got into a nice spot and switched off for me,” Morgan said.
“His strength is that he relaxes really well in the run and has an explosive turn-of-foot. He put them to bed.
“Down in the weights, and there’s a lot of good races over two miles, there’s not really any ceiling for that.”