Hope springs eternal for McEvoy stable’s Group 1 acquisition
He’ll be a little “ring rusty”, but Group 1 Caulfield Stakes winner Cape of Good Hope on Saturday takes the first step towards resurrecting his career.
The McEvoy stable has taken over the talented entire, who tackles the inaugural The Lexus Mugatoo (1600m) at Flemington after a 521-day gap between runs.
“We’ve given him a couple of trials,” Calvin McEvoy said.
“He’ll improve out of Saturday’s run, but we’ve done all we can with him at home and now he’s ready to go to the races.
“There’s no doubt he’ll be a little ring rusty, being off the scene for a very long time.”
Landing on Australian shores in mid-2019 after showing promise in Europe, Cape of Good Hope made an immediate splash for the Hayes, Hayes and Dabernig training team, taking out the $1 million, 2000m Caulfield WFA event at his first local start, edging out Black Heart Bart and Harlem.
However, across his seven subsequent starts, including four in Group 1 company, he beat home a combined tally of just six horses. His second Australian prep ended with an inglorious last placing in the Group 3 Coongy at Caulfield in October 2020.
McEvoy said the horse’s owners decided to have one final shot at recapturing Cape of Good Hope’s best form and came knocking.
“The ownership group are fantastic – when they rung us up and asked if we’d train the horse they didn’t put any pressure on us,” he said.
“They said, ‘Look, just get him back and see what you think, whether you think he still wants to do it’.
“They wanted to know if he still had that zest for racing, and everything he’s shown us to this stage would suggest he does.”
McEvoy says the stable “took it very slowly” when Cape of Good Hope arrived several months ago, but the six-year-old entire was showing positive signs.
“He’s been really good, but the Caulfield Stakes win was back in 2019 and we’re under no illusions,” he said.
“His form since that has been not very good, so it’ll be interesting.
“We’re just feeling our way a little bit with him, but he’s a nice big horse, who obviously had form prior to coming to Australia – and that first run here was extremely good.”
McEvoy said any future plans for the recent stable acquisition would only be made after Saturday’s return.
To be ridden by John Allen, Cape of Good Hope is considered a $19 chance in most early markets on the $200,000 race. The consistent Gentleman Roy is quoted at around $3 with online bookmakers, just ahead of last-start winner Bermadez ($3.60).
While Cape of Good Hope is stamped ‘wait and see’, another stable newcomer is primed to run well in Saturday’s $200,000 VOBIS Gold Comet over 1000m.
A winner of four of her nine starts, five-year-old mare Miss Albania ($4.20) is first-up after last stepping out in the Group 1 Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley last September.
“She’s just had the one trial, but she’s a nice mare,” McEvoy said.
“She’s obviously very talented, quite fast.
“We thought this race was a really nice kick-off point. The fact that it is a VOBIS race helped us make the decision to go in with just one trial.
“Again, she’ll improve out of it, there’s no doubt about that, but she’s a naturally forward mare and we quite like what we’ve seen.
“I think 53kg with Jamie Kah looks a pretty nice recipe.”
Exciting gelding Lombardo, from the Mick Price/Michael Kent Jr barn, is also first up after contesting a Group 1 – the Manikato last October – and is the early favourite at around $3 with .