Stakes win by Elphinstone

Talented mare Elphinstone gave trainer Tony McEvoy a special victory at Morphettville on Adelaide Cup day, Monday March 10.

McEvoy was a former apprentice jockey under the champion trainer C S Hayes before going on to be stable foreman for more than a decade.

Now training in partnership with his son Calvin, McEvoy brought Elphinstone across for the 2025 Listed Quayclean C S Hayes Cup (1600m).

Ridden by Jamie Melham, Elphinstone was given time to balance up in the field of eight before coming with a powerful sprint in the home straight.

A well backed $2.30 favourite, she raced away to win by 1-1/2 lengths from Episodic ($17) with A Samurai Mind ($4) a nose away third.

Trainer Tony McEvoy said it was special to win the race name after his former boss.

“It is lovely to win this race for the second time,” McEvoy said.

“I combined with Jamie (Melham) to win the C S Hayes Cup with Over Exposure in 2020. I like Jamie riding for me, I have got to tell you.

“Elphinstone is a very good mare by Street Boss. She gives everything in her races, so she takes a little time between runs.

“We had her in the Matron Stakes at Flemington last Saturday, but this looked a much better option.

“She was stakes-placed leading into today, so now she is a stakes winner.

“Our goal this preparation was to win a black type race, now that has happened we can re-evaluate her program.

Winning jockey Jamie Melham said it had been nice to team up with the McEvoys and win a feature race in Adelaide.

“The one instruction I had from Tony today was to get her back and get her to relax,” Melham said.

“I didn’t have to overthink it. The tempo wasn’t great early, but I was happy when they ramped it up from the 600. She was just too good.

“She had to do a lot today. She had to go back, we had to get going early and she was still strong late.

“I think she can step up over further and the way she relaxes she will definitely get further.”

Elphinstone has built an impressive record of five wins and seven placings from just 18 runs collecting in excess of $800,000 in stakes.