Hungry Heart can continue winning ways
Frankel filly Hungry Heart will stretch out to a middle-distance for the first time in the Vinery Stud Stakes as she bids to build on her winning momentum.
There was more than a year between the filly’s maiden victory in the Sweet Embrace Stakes as a juvenile and her last-start triumph in the Phar Lap Stakes, with a smattering of stakes placings in between.
But largely she has promised more than she has delivered, something her new jockey Kerrin Mcevoy hopes will change now she has posted a confidence-boosting win.
“This filly has been running well and was a good winner last time,” McEvoy said.
“She is a nice pick-up. She has to tick the 2000 metre box but I’m sure that should be no problem.
“If things go her way on the weekend, she’ll be hard to beat.”
James Mcdonald has been the regular rider of Hungry Heart but will be aboard VRC Oaks winner Personal when she makes her second visit to Sydney.
The Lindsay Park filly’s only other start outside Melbourne was in the 2020 Golden Slipper when she was unplaced behind Farnan.
McEvoy will jump ship to the Victorian team when he combines with Cherry Tortoni in the Tulloch Stakes (2000m).
Trained by his brother-in-law, Patrick Payne, Cherry Tortoni disappointed at his only other visit to Sydney but has undeniable talent and McEvoy expects him to rebound from his last-start fourth in the Alister Clark Stakes at The Valley.
“He has been running against the best of his age group throughout his career,” McEvoy said.
“I think you put a line through last start, he got back on a track that was hard to make ground on.
“Unfortunately, we’ve got an outside gate but if Patrick is sending him up, he must be happy with the horse.”