Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Tony and Calvin McEvoy ticked off one of Australia's greatest features last spring when Half Yours (St Jean {Ire}) won the G1 Melbourne Cup, and they are ready to do it all again in 2026/27.
The father-son duo have launched into the new season with more Group 1 goals in mind for their team, with exciting filly Natural Fling (Home Affairs) chasing the next level this Saturday and a grey daughter of St Mark's Basilica (Fr) heading on the path to the G1 One Thousand Guineas later in the spring.
Calvin McEvoy tells TTR the plans for some of their top-class 3-year-olds, their stable stalwarts, and the emerging stayers making a name for themselves this spring.
3-year-olds
Natural Fling, 3-year-old filly (Home Affairs x The Natural {Fastnet Rock})
“She's going really great, and she is running in the (G1) Moir Stakes on Saturday. We really love her, we’ve been impressed with everything she’s done so far. She's top class, and hopefully she can perform well on Saturday, and then the (G1) Coolmore Stud Stakes is the ultimate target for the prep.”
Speaking to racing.com on Tuesday morning:
“That is a risk, of course, when you’ve got inexperienced younger horses taking on the bigger, stronger ones... We ran Sunlight (as a 3-year-old) in the Manikato. It was a little bit different – she was much more experienced than this filly is. She got knocked from pillar to post and never got a crack at them.”
Natural Fling | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
La Barrita, 3-year-old filly (St Mark’s Basilica (Fr) x Cabarita {Redoute's Choice})
“She’s a nice filly. She is running first up Saturday in the (Listed) Atlantic Jewel Stakes. We think that she's a filly that could be set for (G1) 1000 Guineas path. We took her to Queensland in the winter and she had a nice enough prep without being a black-type winner, but I'm hoping that she can achieve that this preparation.”
La Barrita | Image courtesy of Trackside Photography
Expensive Taste, 3-year-old filly (North Pacific x Taste Of Money {Not A Single Doubt})
“She probably needs to come up a little bit more, but she's been running well enough without breaking through and has picked up four placings in six starts. I think she's proving to us that she's looking for the 2000 meters this preparation, so she will be trained on to step up in trip.“
Expensive Taste as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Moana Spirit, 3-year-old filly (Tagaloa x Chaminade {Medaglia D’Oro {USA}})
“Moana Spirit is not too far away from making a return. She had a little cut on her leg which has put her back a couple of weeks after she jumped out in early August. Obviously her early form was quite good, so we are hoping now as she's a bit more mature, she can get back into that sort of grade.”
Moana Spirit | Image courtesy of Yulong Stud
Lepolo, 3-year-old colt (Written Tycoon x Puppy Love (Jpn) {Deep Impact {Jpn}})
“Lepolo is a promising colt. He’s had one start for one win, and we have got him in on Saturday in an open 3-year-old 1500-metre race at Sandown, so it's a bit of an aggressive placement. He galloped this morning at Sandown and worked well.
“He's a lovely horse that potentially could be a Derby horse, so we will put him on that path and see how he travels. You might see him in races like the (Listed) Super Impose Stakes on October 3.”
Lepolo | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
Judas Tree, 3-year-old gelding (Blue Point (Ire) x Laburnum {Denman})
“He’s going to head to the (Listed) Mike Moroney over 1400 metres in a couple of weeks. He's doing a good job for us, that was a nice win he produced first-up this prep. I think he's going to get out to a mile, and hopefully he can progress to stakes level for Godolphin.”
4-year-olds
Silvasista, 4-year-old mare (Toronado (Ire) x Silver Tiara {Ferocity})
“Silversista is just in the early stages of her preparation at the moment, she is still building up, but she is a filly that we gave a decent spell to after her last preparation. She loves a trip, so hopefully she can step up and we stretch her out to some of the staying features towards the end of the carnival.”
Silvasista | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
Older horses
Half Yours, 6-year-old gelding (St Jean (Ire) x La Gazelle {Desert King {Ire}})
“He is going super. He's going to resume in the (G1) Makybe Diva Stakes on September 12. We are really pleased with him so far. All going well he will go Makybe to (G1) Turnbull Stakes, (G1) Cox Plate, (G1) Melbourne Cup.
"He looks fantastic at the moment and we are very excited for his return to the races.”
Half Yours | Image courtesy of Trackside Photography
Yellow Jersey (Fr), 5-year-old gelding (Dubawi (Ire) x Psara (GB) {Invincible Spirit {Ire}})
“He underperformed in the (Listed) Heatherlie on Saturday to what the expectations were. He just over-traveled a little bit on a hot tempo, being first up at 1700 metres. He has felt the run a little bit, so we will just reassess where we go next.
"There is a race in a fortnight we will consider, depending how he recovers this week. But he is a good horse and we are certain that he will reach that next level in time.”
Yellow Jersey (Fr) | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
Rue De Royale (NZ), 5-year-old gelding (Per Incanto (USA) x Urban Royal {Exceed And Excel})
“Rue De Royale has had a nice spell. He's back in now and he will likely have his first trial next week. He is going to just be one of those good, solid handicappers that will be running around at some point throughout the carnival, whether he's on the borderline of stakes grade or not.
“But he's a nice horse who is up in the weights and ratings now, so we will concentrate on getting the placings right for him and the owners.
Rue De Royale (NZ) | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
Ambassadorial, 6-year-old gelding (Fiorente (Ire) x Showcase {Big Brown {USA}})
“He had a good prep last time in, and he is going nicely again this time. He is running first up in the Listed So You Think Stakes on Saturday. We are looking forward to seeing him first up over 1500 metres. He will look to be set towards races like the (G3) Coongy Cup and maybe even a (Listed) Ballarat Cup.”
Ambassadorial | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Nearco Frod (Fr), 5-year-old gelding (Hunter’s Light (Ire) x Tequila Frod (Ity) {Dr Devious {Ire}})
“He’s won four in a row and is a very nice horse doing a great job. He's heading towards the (G3) Archer Stakes at Flemington to try and win a golden ticket into the Melbourne Cup. He has been a progressive young stayer and I think he's going to be even better in the autumn, so there is definitely more to come for him..”
Cadogan (GB), 5-year-old gelding (Farhh (GB) x Wadjet (Ire) {Shamardal {USA}})
“He is probably still a fortnight away from a trial. He's had a nice spell and has properly acclimatised to Australia now. I think he's got quite good ability, so he will be aimed towards the 2000-metre races across the spring, maybe even a Ballarat Cup later in the year. I think he's got decent ability and he will make the grade for sure.”
