The 1800m of the Byerley Handicap at Flemington on Saturday might not be perfect for two year old Mr Wolf, but co-trainer Tony McEvoy is more than happy to test the youngster over that trip.
Group 1 winner Sunlight, above, was one of the stars of the Tony and Calvin McEvoy stable. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Mr Wolf scored on debut in a 1400m Murray Bridge Maiden and then finished third again over 1400m in a Balaklava Class 1 and McEvoy would have preferred to step him up to 1600m at his third race start.
“I ran him at 1400 metres first time out because he’s not a sprinter and then I ran him again at 1400 at Balaklava and he just found it too sharp,” McEvoy, who trains in partnership with his son Calvin, told AAP.
“The only other races over here (in South Australia) were 1400s and then we saw this 1800-metre race for two-year-olds. It’s probably a furlong (200m) further than I would have gone in an ideal world but it’s there and it’s against his own age.
“He’s very fit and well so we thought we’d send him over and see where he sits.
“The 1800 is a big query, like it is for a lot of them I’d assume.”
There are fifteen two year olds entered for the Byerley Handicap with Godolphin trainer James Cummings nominating two, Alcyone and Choir.
Alcyone is yet to lose his Maiden status but has been runner up at two of his three starts, his latest a second in the Listed $120,000 Taj Rossi Series Final (1600m) at Flemington on July 4.
Choir is also eligible for a Maiden following his third in a Ballarat Maiden on May 31 and a fourth in a 1400m Maiden on the Ballarat Synthetic Track.
Training duo Ciaron Maher and David Eustace have nominated Galactic Fury who has been placed five times from eight starts, including his last start second in a 1600m Bendigo 2yo Handicap on June 21.
The post Mr Wolf is howling out for extra distance in Byerley Handicap appeared first on HorseRacing.com.au.
