Cup run starts early
Withhold won’t hold back in Geelong effort
CHAMPION jockey Kerrin McEvoy is testing English stayer Withhold as a possible Melbourne Cup ride at Geelong today.
Withhold has created a huge impression since arriving in Melbourne and is the $2.90 Ladbrokes favourite to win the Group 3 $350,000 Geelong Cup (2400m).
Trainer Roger Charlton wanted to send Withhold straight to the Melbourne Cup without a lead-up run but his stayer is 33rd in order of entry and not certain of a start in the 24-horse field.
Withhold has 53kg in the Melbourne Cup but is eligible for a penalty if he wins the Geelong Cup, which would virtually assure him a start in the Melbourne Cup.
McEvoy, already a twotime Melbourne Cup winner on Brew (2000) and Almandin (2016), said Withhold had the right form to be competitive.
Withhold is still very lightly raced but he won the prestigious Cesarewitch (3621m) at Newmarket and at his only start since he won the Northumberland Plate (3269m) at Newbury in June.
“He seems to have travelled out here really well and he has impressive handicap form over there,” McEvoy said.
“He’s a nice style of a horse so you’d like to think that he can go there and run really well. I haven’t had a good look at the race yet but he seems versatile enough to do what you want.
“I rode him about a week ago and he felt really good. He worked nice and sharply, so everything says that he has travelled out nicely.”
International raiders Media Puzzle (2002), Americain (2010) and Dunaden (2011) all completed the Geelong Cup-Melbourne Cup double.
McEvoy hasn’t locked himself into a Melbourne Cup ride, although he is also in line for Youngstar and Cross Counter.
■ NEW Zealand stayer Jon Snow will miss the Melbourne Cup for the second year in a row with the fiveyear-old on his way home.
The 2017 Australian Derby winner finished last in the Caulfield Cup with trainers Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman pulling the pin on his campaign, citing a lack of suitable options.
A year ago, Racing Victoria stewards refused to pass him to run in the Melbourne Cup with vets determining he was lame.