Melbourne Cup winner Half Yours will kick off his title defence in the Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington.
The Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained stayer is being aimed again at this year’s Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 3.
Jamie Melham became the first female jockey to land the Caulfield and Melbourne Cup double and will partner the stayer in Saturday’s first-up assignment over 1600m at weight-for-age.
There were pundits questioning Half Yours last campaign when he raced first-up in Sydney before three runs in Queensland, the last of which was in the Q22 (2200m) at Eagle Farm in June where the gelding finished fourth.
Half Yours spelled in Queensland before making his way back to the McEvoy Flemington barn early last month to prepare for his return.
Two jump-outs at Flemington have Half Yours ready for his return and Tony McEvoy said while the latest, when finishing fourth over 1000m, may have looked disappointing, visually, the team was happy with the result.
“I was really happy with his trial,” McEvoy said.
“If you put him in a 1000-metre race, he would get completely run off his legs and they ran it like a race.
“It wasn’t like a normal trial and he got chasing.
“They were also trials at Flemington where they finish on a bend, so it’s very hard for horses to make ground on a bend.
“Whilst it didn’t look impressive, I thought he moved well, trialled nicely and the horse is telling us he’s going very well while his coat is coming better by the day.
“All the data that we collate on him is normal.
“He certainly hasn’t gone backwards.”
Following Saturday’s first-up run, Half Yours is expected to head to the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on October 3, a race his finished fourth in last year before going on to claim the Caulfield Cup.
The Group 1 Cox Plate, this year run at Flemington, will wind up Half Yours’ preparation for the Melbourne Cup.
