Half Yours to test class in the 2025 Turnbull Stakes
Calvin McEvoy admits the campaign for Half Yours didn’t go exactly to script, but the stayer now finds himself on track for both the Turnbull Stakes and the Caulfield Cup after a timely victory in the Naturalism Stakes (2000m).
The horse had initially been prepared for Sydney’s The Metropolitan (2400m), but when he failed to secure a spot in the Kingston Town Stakes, the team elected to chase the Caulfield option. That decision paid off with Half Yours winning at Caulfield and gaining ballot exemption for the $5 million Caulfield Cup, where he now sits as favourite.
“We were on the cusp of both the Kingston Town and the Naturalism and having a lowish rated horse going into the spring, we thought he would be fine going on previous years, but there must be a little more depth this year,” McEvoy said. “It was a relief when we made the call to come to Melbourne and got into the race as he needed to win that race to get into the Caulfield Cup.”
Half Yours now steps into elite company in the Turnbull, but McEvoy is encouraged by a good barrier and the horse’s fitness.
“We’ve got the favourite for the Cox Plate, the favourite for the Melbourne Cup, the best 2000-metre weight-for-age horse in the country, so I’m looking forward to seeing how he runs against them,” McEvoy said. “We don’t expect him to win, but we just want to see him run well and hit the line strongly.”
Skipping the Turnbull and going straight into the Caulfield Cup was briefly considered, but history convinced the stable otherwise. Horses like Duke De Sessa, Incentivise and Verry Elleegant all used the Turnbull as a springboard to Cup success.
“My heart says it would have been fine for him, but a month between runs into a high-pressure contest would have been a risk,” McEvoy said. “The Turnbull has been a proven path and that’s why we’re here.”
For those looking to back Half Yours in either the Turnbull Stakes or Caulfield Cup, Australia’s leading betting sites and best-value online bookmakers have full markets available.
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