breednet.com.au

More magic for McEvoy in Blue Sapphire Stakes

Ben Dorries - Wednesday October 18

Everything Kerrin McEvoy touches turns to gold lately and so it proved again with Blue Sapphire Stakes winner Formality at Caulfield on Wednesday.

Kerrin McEvoy continues his magic period in the saddle by winning the Blue Sapphire Stakes on Formality Photo: Darryl Sherer

It has been an extraordinary time for last year's Melbourne Cup winning jockey who in the space of five days has scaled racing's The Everest with Redzel, won the Cranbourne Cup on Folkswood and got some extra cream on the top with Formality winning the Group III Blue Sapphire Stakes (1200m).

McEvoy partly blamed himself when the Lindsay Park filly finished well down the track in last month's Group I Golden Rose – beaten more than 9 lengths by Trapeze Artist – but he produced a smooth ride to make amends at Caulfield.

Formality ($5) sat outside leader Crown Witness but put paid to her in the straight and then held off second-placed Jukebox ($5.50) by a long neck with 1¼ lengths back to Lone Eagle ($31).

Formality is now bound for a clash with stablemates Catchy and Tulip in next month's Group I Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington.

"I didn't give her a great ride in the Golden Rose … and she is probably just a sprinting filly," McEvoy said.

"She was back in trip here and she is a very strong girl.

"Crown Witness just rolled along and I was happy, it was just a matter of pressing the button and we did that at the 300m and it was game over.

"She had a lovely run and she showed a good turn of foot they couldn't get near her."

Runner-up Jukebox tried hard but the Aaron Purcell-trained colt no match for the winner, with Jukebox's jockey Craig Williams offering few excuses.

"On straightening I thought I would win the race," Williams said.

"I have got a big opinion of him but the winner was just too strong for us today."

Hayes was confident Formality could make an impact in next month's Coolmore Stud Stakes.

"She really is a good filly, she had a gutbuster in the Golden Rose in Sydney," Hayes said.

"She drew wide and we elected to go forward and unfortunately the rest of the field did too in that race.

"To bounce back off that hard run was superb.

"Kerrin is in such good form we just said let her go under her own steam, if they want to go hard then follow them. If they want to walk then lead.

"Kerrin is very hard to get past a man in the form he is in."

Advertisment
More Reading...
Melbourne Cup Possible for Trav
Raymond Connors has collected every major two-mile prize in New Zealand, and now he is dreaming of a possible tilt at Australasia’s most coveted staying scalp, the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m).
La Crique Headed for Sydney
Trainers Simon and Katrina Alexander have always felt distance would be La Crique’s best friend, and they will give her the opportunity to step up over ground when they head to Australia with her later this month.
Milan Park Sister Act Stars at Ellerslie
A stunning family double for Tony Rider on Champion’s Day elevated the Milan Park principal into rare territory.
Sires With Winners - Monday March 10
Here is the full list of 39 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Fiorente Gets His 2 Mile Cup Winner - Half By A Slipper Winner at Easter
Melbourne Cup hero Fiorente has finally, a bit poetically and a bit sadly, sired a two-mile Cup winner and you can buy the half-brother at Inglis Easter by a Golden Slipper winner.
Nearly a G1 Winner for Merchant Navy
Classy juvenile Landlock turned a few heads when pushing million-dollar colt Return to Conquer right down to the wire in Saturday’s Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m), but the performance came as no surprise to his trainer Cody Cole.
Street Boss Keeps the Stakes-Winners Coming
Fresh from siring a Group II double at Randwick on Saturday with fast juveniles Tempted and Tentyris, Street Boss (USA) kept the ball rolling with another stakes-winner on Monday at Morphettville when four year-old mare Elphinstone landed the Listed SAJC Colin Hayes Memorial Cup (1600m).
First Stakes-Winner for Wooded
Wootton Bassett (GB) already has his stripes as a sire of sires thanks to Almanzor (Fr), but one of his other Group I winning sons Wooded (IRE) was credited with his first stakes-winner overnight when Woodshauna took out the Listed Prix Monetenica (1300m) at Chantilly.
Valuable Black Type for Deep Field Filly
There were a lot of people made happy by the result of the Listed SAJC Morphettville Guineas (1600m) on Monday when the unbeaten run of race favourite Sabaj was brought to an end by progressive Deep Field filly Gala Queen, a half-sister to multiple Group I placed Group III winning mare Semana.
Juvenile Trial Watch - Randwick
There were five heats for juveniles at Randwick on Monday morning with Golden Slipper contenders West of Swindon and Bellazaine both in action, plus some well bred unraced heat winners including the brother to G1 winner Captivant and the Farnan first foal of Champion NZ 3YO Filly Jennifer Eccles.