A CLASSIC DRAW
SOUTH AUSTRALIAN father-and-son training combination of Tony and Calvin McEvoy have raised their expectations of their talented stayer Classic Weiwei after the gelding drew an ideal barrier for Sunday’s $250,000 Ladbrokes Hobart Cup that boasts a near capacity field of 15.
At the official barrier draw at Elwick yesterday Classic Weiwei drew barrier three for the Group 3 event over 2400 metres and Tony McEvoy was ecstatic when advised of the draw.
“Barrier three is absolutely perfect for my horse because from there he can go forward early and get a nice spot without using up too much energy and with that barrier, I now regard him a top winning chance,” McEvoy said from Melbourne.
“We have always regarded Classic Weiwei as a genuine stayer and while he was out of the winner’s circle for a long time, his win two starts back in a 2400m race at Caulfield convinced me he is the right horse to send to Tassie for the major cups.”
Classic Weiwei will be ridden by the McEvoy stable’s number one rider Barend Vorster, who is a 44-year-old South African who was based in Singapore prior to relocating to Australia to ride for the McEvoy stable. Classic Weiwei is one of only two interstateowned and trained stayers in Sunday’s race with the Archie Alexander-trained Barade the other and he has drawn awkwardly in barrier 11. Barade hails from France where he began his career and placed in two derbies over 2400m in Sweden before being sold to Australian interests and is now raced partly by OTI racing.
Barade has won twice from his past three starts, the latest coming in the Magic Millions Shoot Out over 2206m at Eagle Park in Queensland early last month.
Last year’s Hobart Cup winner Toorak Affair drew barrier five, which has pleased her trainer Michael Trinder and jockey Anthony Darmanin.
Former Hobart Cup winner (2019) Eastender drew the outside gate (15) but it is probably of little consequence as the gelding usually gets back in the field.
Mandela Effect drew fairly in barrier nine while his stablemate Sir Simon drew ideally in gate seven.