Calvin McEvoy says he finds himself far more relaxed in 2026 despite his star stayer, Half Yours, is set to try and defend his Caulfield Cup crown on Saturday.
Punters are somewhat wary of the star gelding’s 2026 form – but McEvoy said the Melbourne Cup champ is finally set for a distance he loves. Half Yours is currently rated a $9 chance with TAB.
”I believe the horse is going super. Within his work at home, he’s perfect. His usual rider, who has ridden him for the last two years, is very pleased with him,” he told Betsy.
”The main factor that people need to remember is we’re now back to a mile and a half, a trip that he’s unbeaten at a mile and a half and beyond, and he’s an elite stayer.
”It was always going to be a difficult task to be trying to win races over a mile and two thousand. I think this is the real race that he could have won since the Melbourne Cup was the Q22, and we know that was just a farcically ran non event effectively, and it’s been widely spoken about.
”So I don’t think the horse has probably had a real chance to show everyone how good he is. We’re back to a mile and a half. We’re back to a race that he’s won. Although we’ve got much more weight this year.”
Half Yours has drawn an ideal gate for his Caulfield Cup defence. We caught up with Calvin McEvoy this morning to discuss how he’s going ahead of Saturday’s feature.
Can Half Yours go back to back?@mcevoyracing @Matt__Welsh_ @CalvinMcEvoy pic.twitter.com/K6CQZnfFdw
— Betsy (@betsy_com_au) October 13, 2026
Half Yours drew barrier 7 on Tuesday, with McEvoy saying owner Neville Smith didn’t ”stuff it up” when randomly choosing his stayers draw.
”Really, really happy. These barrier draws – you come in and you sit down. You can’t do anything,” he said.
”It’s not in your control. Horse trainers are not good at letting control go. Neville Smith, one of the part owners, drew the barrier last year for the Caulfield Cup and the Melbourne Cup. Pressure was on him because he completely got it right last year, and I was pleased that he didn’t stuff it up today.”
So after pulling off the Caulfield and Melbourne Cup double in 2025, how does his 2026 preparation compare?
”It’s hard to quantify … because last year he was racing all year and we were just keeping the horse happy. He didn’t need a lot of galloping in between (races). We really only turned his training up from basically Caulfield Cup into the Melbourne Cup. This is a different scenario now. Although he didn’t have a long time off between Queensland and this preparation, we’ve had to build him up, and it’s hard to know whether he’s going as good because he’s not winning,” McEvoy said.
”Looking at the horse, I think he’s going super. He looks incredibly well. When he presents on Saturday in the mounting yard, he will look fit. He’ll be shining and he’s healthy and happy. So I’m happy with him.”
