McEvoy and Red Cardinal unite at Werribee
Two previous Melbourne Cup winners are trying to claim victory as a jockey and trainer partnership in the famous race at Flemington.
Two-time winning jockey Kerrin McEvoy and German trainer Andreas Wohler combine for the first time with $15 fourth favourite Red Cardinal in the $6 million handicap on November 7.
McEvoy won the Cup with Brew in 2000 and last year with Almandin while Wohler claimed honours with Protectionist in 2014.
The jockey had his first sit on Red Cardinal at Werribee on Thursday.
“He’s a big horse but he’s got a good action,” McEvoy said.
“Andreas is obviously a master trainer and knows what’s required out here and he was impressed this morning.”
McEvoy said after studying Red Cardinal’s form and replays he was an obvious choice.
He said the horse looks ideally suited over the Melbourne Cup distance of 3200m as was shown with his win in New York in June.
“You can put a line through his last run,” McEvoy said.
“He was back and wide at Deauville and never really got a chance to get into the race when he ran behind Marmelo.
“If you take a line off that, he’s got the right the formlines coming into our biggest race.”
Red Cardinal will go into the Melbourne Cup having his first run since finishing fifth to Marmelo in the Prix Kergorlay at Deauville in August.
The gelding bypassed the Caulfield Cup as the Wohler team were concerned with the firm ground and what effect it may have on Red Cardinal’s preparation.
“Firm ground at Flemington might be different to firm ground at Caulfield that’s why I wouldn’t worry about (running at) Flemington,” Wohler said.
“He’s run at New York on a fast track and handled it well but we were a bit worried about the ground at Caulfield so that’s why we skipped the race just to be of the safe side.”
Wohler said Red Cardinal was ticking over well and McEvoy would return next week for another gallop in the lead-up to the Cup.