Birthday boy eyes Cox Plate present
A VISIT to the Lindsay Park stables of David Hayes at Flemington in the winter of 1990 was the catalyst for Kerrin McEvoy’s dream of winning the Cox Plate, one of the few milestone moments still to be achieved by the champion big-race rider.
The nine-year-old from Streaky Bay in South Australia had dreams of becoming a jockey and was there to meet his favourite horse – a Group 1-winning galloper affectionately known around the barn as “Blup”.
“I’ll never forget it, I got to pat Better Loosen Up,” McEvoy said. “I had a real soft spot for ‘Blup’ as they used to call him.
“Better Loosen Up’s win in 1990 was my first memory of the race and it fuelled the desire inside that hopefully one day I might experience winning a Cox Plate.”
On Saturday at The Valley in Melbourne, McEvoy will be the birthday boy chasing the most special of presents.
He has already claimed three Melbourne Cups, a Caulfield Cup and a Golden Slipper, leaving only the Cox Plate to win for him to become the eighth jockey to snare the four Australian racing majors.
Those who have achieved the feat are Damien Oliver, Neville Sellwood, Roy Higgins, Pat Hyland, Mick Dittman, Jim Cassidy and Chris Munce.
“The big four-oh (40) on Saturday,” he said. “It would be a pretty special birthday present to win the 100th Cox Plate and complete the grand slam.
“It’s a cherished trophy and it’s a time-honoured and unique jewel in Australia’s racing crown that all jockeys want to win.
“We all know it’s a wonderful race so the adrenaline is going to be running on Saturday knowing I’ve got a good chance to achieve the milestone of winning the four majors.”
The closest McEvoy has come to winning a Cox Plate are two third placings aboard Viscount in 2001 and Folkswood in 2007 and he believes he goes into Saturday’s race with his best chance since partnering Helmet as the $2.80 favourite in 2011.
“I haven’t really come close except in 2001 on the three-year-old Viscount,” he said. “He finished third beaten about a length that day behind Northerly and Sunline and that experience fuelled my fire to try to find the right horse to achieve that success.
“Folkswood ran third too but he wasn’t beating Winx.
“It takes a special sort of horse to win the race – something I’ve not really had the pleasure of experiencing since back in 2001.
“I think Probabeel could be that horse. I think she’s got a good chance.
Probabeel, trained by New Zealander Jamie Richards, is rated an $8 chance after drawing barrier two.
“She’s tough and she has a great will to win,” McEvoy said of Probabeel, who won the Group 1 Epsom Handicap in Sydney last start.
“A great will to win is a must-have to win a Cox Plate.
“I don’t think there would be too many people that postrace wouldn’t think she wasn’t a worthy Cox Plate winner if she can do it.”