McEvoy chases feature race streak at Scone after Gosford success
Following his double in feature races at the isolated Gosford card last week, jockey Kerrin McEvoy seeks another strong performance at Scone, with engagements across all six black-type races during the two-day carnival.
At Gosford, McEvoy took the $500,000 The Coast (1600m) on Athantos and the Takeover Target Stakes (1100m) with King Of Roseau, and he starts his Scone stakes bid riding War Eternal in the Listed Scone Cup (1600m) on Friday.
Saturday brings mounts on the Lindsay Park two-year-old filly La Gitana in the Woodlands Stakes (1100m) and Angela Davies' Our Kobison in the Ortensia Stakes (1100m).
Having won six from his first 10 races, Our Kobison caught the eye of 2024 Everest contenders, missing the big race but securing second to Joliestar in the Show County Quality (1200m) that year.
His late-season form last year waned, but he returned sharper at Rosehill in April, beaten closely by Point And Shoot, and then fifth in the Hawkesbury Gold Rush.
The rider has guided the gelding four times previously, recording a win and three seconds, including this preparation's opener, and welcomes the partnership.
"I know Angela has been happy with him. I'm not sure what happened there second-up, but he was really good first-up when he was just nosed out," McEvoy said.
"It wouldn't surprise me to see him bounce back to being very competitive on the weekend. I haven't had a good look at the race yet, but I know he'll enjoy Scone and he's going to be much closer to peak fitness third-up."
La Gitana enters New South Wales for the first time, with impressive placings in her two Victorian black-type starts.
Southern horses thrived in Sydney's autumn juvenile stakes, exemplified by Guest House in the Golden Slipper, and McEvoy believes the Hayes team sees potential in La Gitana for the trip.
"You've got to think the Hayes' boys have a good opinion of this filly to travel up here. They wouldn't be wasting their time," McEvoy said.
"She has drawn soft and, I think she can be a good ride for me on the card.
"I haven't had a chance to look at her jump-out yet, but she's got stakes form, so she's got to be a chance up there."
McEvoy rounds out his stakes rides with Casserousse in the Listed Denise's Joy Stakes (1100m), Harlem Queen for the Dark Jewel Classic (1400m), and Captain Furai in the Luskin Star Stakes (1300m).
Head to the online bookmakers to find the best betting markets for the race at Scone.
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