Icon elite at Ballarat

With two wins and as many seconds from his first four starts, Elite Icon looked a star of the future.

Unfortunately, a setback resulted in an 11-month break until his third victory.

Elite Icon carried a huge weight of 62kg to win at Ballarat on Sunday, February 19.

The courageous victory brought up a double for trainers Tony & Calvin McEvoy who had Kentucky Nick win earlier in the day.

Ridden by John Allen, Elite Icon led and showed great courage to hold off his rivals to score a 1-3/4 length win in the Power FM Handicap (1200m).

Backed from $3 into $2.40 favourite, he defeated Prairie Flower ($5) with Moss Job ($19), two lengths away third.

Elite Icon began fast from gate six but Allen was happy to sit wide with another runner burrowing up inside.

Eventually the four-year-old was able to cross down in front of the field and dictate the tempo to the home turn.

In the straight, Elite Icon responded to Allen’s hard riding to maintain his advantage to the post.

Trainer Tony McEvoy was full of praise for the winner.

“He really deserved that win,” McEvoy said.

“He’s been racing beautifully and we’ve been claiming off him because he has been having the big weights.

“Madison (Lloyd) has been riding him beautifully but we just thought he was due to have a senior rider.

“Johnny (Allen) was the difference today, he just got that little bit extra out of him.

“He carried the weight well and it was lovely to see him win again, he deserved it.

“We bought this fellow, Suman Hedge put 50% together and Calvin and I put 50% of the horse together.

“We’ve got a group of owners, there are quite a few people in him, and they have been patient.

“We thought we had a really good horse on our hands, but sadly, he went in the wind, so they never come back quite as good.

“He’s a solid campaigner, been running well and there are more wins in store.”

McEvoy said he would be guided by feedback from John Allen whether to try and stretch him to 1400 metres.

“I thought he was a miler (1600m) early doors, but when they go in the wind, you just have to be careful how far they run.

“The feedback from Johnny will be imperative.

“He’s an on-speed horse which likes to roll, sometimes a sprinter’s seven (1400m) could be ideal for him.”

Winning jockey John Allen said Elite Icon had won strongly.

“He has been racing in a bit better grade, and racing well,” Allen said.

“It looked a good race for him today and it worked out well.

“He began well and is relaxing a bit better now than what he probably did in his earlier days.

“We gradually worked our way across, and I just let him roll.

“He maintained a good gallop the whole way, it was a good tough win.

“He is worth a try at the extra trip because he is a b it more mature now, racing with more manners, it is worth a try.”