McEvoy hopes working holiday pays dividends in Grafton Cup

Top jockey Kerrin McEvoy is banking on a Northern Rivers working holiday paying dividends when he partners favourite King Pedro in Thursday’s $200,000 listed Westlawn Finance Grafton Cup (2350m).

McEvoy travelled to Grafton to score a feature win on Sunday on the Tom Charlton-trained Mr Chaplin in the $80,000 South Grafton Cup, bringing it into Big Dance calculations. He again combines with the stable on King Pedro, which won last start at Rosehill.

“He’s a horse with plenty of upside,” McEvoy said of King Pedro. “I was having my first ride on him in a race when he won the Stayers Cup at Rosehill last time out, and it was a dominant effort.

“He put a gap in them once he got to the lead and won with plenty of authority.

“That was over 2400m, so the 2350m of the Grafton Cup looks made to order again. He’s down in the weights still, which is in his favour, and he looks very hard to hold out again.”

King Pedro was narrowly beaten at Rosehill two starts ago when jockey Anna Roper protested
unsuccessfully against the winner, Nobler.

“His form has been very good ever since he arrived here from New Zealand,” McEvoy said. “He ran sixth in the New Zealand Derby, he’s always shown staying promise, and he is living up to it.”

McEvoy also rides Tartaglia on Thursday for trainer Paul Snowden in the Fidelity Capital Country Boosted Belflyer Class 6 Showcase Plate (1175m).

A former Godolphin galloper, Tartaglia won at Taree in October, and was back in winning form when scoring last start at Gosford last week when third up from a spell.

McEvoy was in the saddle for the Gosford victory and was happy to stick with the galloper at Grafton.

“It was a very good win at Gosford,” McEvoy said. “He raced well on the heavy track in that event and gets back to a good track on Thursday.”

Supplied by Racing NSW.