Pegasi back to winning form

Talented four-year-old Pegasi indicated he was on the return to his best form with a strong win on the Ballarat Synthetic on Tuesday, August 30.

As a two-year-old Pegasi ran third in the Millennium at Randwick in 2021 for trainers Tony & Calvin McEvoy but hadn’t won since.

Today, at Ballarat, the gelding settled fourth back on the fence before sprinting strongly along the rails to win the Porter Plant Rating 64 Handicap (1100m).

Ridden by Dean Holland, and well backed at $4.80, Pegasi won by 1-1/2 lengths from Ultimate Edition ($3.70 equal favourite) with Outstanding Reward ($20), three lengths away third.

Trainer Tony McEvoy was relieved to see Pegasi back in the winner’s circle.

“I’m so pleased for this horse,” McEvoy said.

“He ran third in a Millennium, he has got a lot of quality, but he has been the wilderness a little bit.

“The horse has been wanting to over race, and not breathing properly – being impatient.

“He had the pacifiers on today and we asked Dean if he could just get a sit early.

“Barrier one really helped us and the inside rail, and we got up on the fence, but he went right through the line and looked like he really enjoyed his race.

“It was so pleasing to have him back in form.”

McEvoy said the stable would not rush Pegasi to anything great.

“He has shown us early on he is a horse of nice quality and today was the first step to getting back to a bit of form.

“Pegasi flies the gates – he has got great timing out of the barriers, and we have been trying to get him back, and relax which he did today.

“He raced beautifully in the pacifiers and was strong at the end.”

Winning jockey Dean Holland also was delighted Pegasi had returned to the winning list.

“There was good speed on today,” Holland said.

“They put the pacifiers on and it seemed to work.

“He settled really well but I also thought the good tempo helped him as well.

“He got into a nice rhythm and cuddle him when I needed to, and he had a horse to chase in the straight.

“Everything went in his favour, but he has got plenty of ability.

“It was just a matter of him getting a bit of confidence.

“Sometimes all it takes is to win like this, gets his confidence and get back into good form.

“He is heading in the right direction now.”