Tony McEvoy planning to back-up Valley winner Blue Stratum in Group 3 Vain Stakes

Tony McEvoy unveiled a plan to step up Blue Stratum to stakes level following his narrow victory at The Valley on Saturday.

Blue Stratum held on for a narrow win at The Valley on Saturday. Picture: Picture: Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images

The rest of Blue Stratum’s connections didn’t know but co-trainer Tony McEvoy has a plan to pinch a stakes win next Saturday after Blue Stratum’s narrow win at The Valley.

Jockey Beau Mertens produced what McEvoy described as a “clever ride” to get Blue Stratum home in the Dominant Handicap (1000m) over the charging Last Druid.

McEvoy subsequently unveiled a plan to tackle shortcourse races at stakes level, starting with next Saturday’s Group 3 Vain Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield.

McEvoy, who trains Blue Stratum in partnership with his son Calvin, said the Blue Point colt could take advantage of the better three-year-olds stepping up in trip in the coming weeks.

“If he’s well, and I haven’t discussed this with the ownership group or my co-trainer yet, there’s an 1100(m race) next week called the Vain (Stakes),” McEvoy said.

Blue Stratum just holds on to win! 🤏@[e-mail]/jsN1YWkltW

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) August 10, 2024

“They all go to 1200(m) after that so we might run him next week in the Vain then a month to the Poseidon (Stakes).

“He has run well down the straight at Flemington when he ran second in the Maribyrnong (Stakes).

“I think we’ll keep him shorter than 12(00m) at the moment.”

Tony McEvoy is already looking ahead of next week’s Group 3 Vain Stakes with Blue Stratum. Picture: Brett Holburt/Racing Photos via Getty Images

Mertens was keen to make his rivals Azeezle and The Showvinist work to find their positions on the speed early in the $150,000 race, which hindered their hopes later in the race.

The on-speed pair faded to finish sixth and seventh respectively while the runner-up Last Druid came from the rear, running on hard to go down by a nose.

McEvoy said he thought the winning margin was greater watching the race live but viewing the replay gave him a slight doubt while he waited for the judge to confirm the placings.

“From my vantage point, I didn’t think he (Last Druid) got that close,” McEvoy said.

“I didn’t like the look of the replay too much.

“God bless Beau and the horse.”

WILDE ABOUT DUCHESS, ZAHRA SEALS TREBLE

Dashing Duchess could be aimed at the Melbourne Cup-qualifying Group 3 Archer Stakes next month after a tough 2500m victory at The Valley.

Trainer Symon Wilde, who also trained third placed Dschingis Prestige, lauded the performance and potential.

Mark Zahra can do no wrong! Dashing Duchess makes it a very early treble🔥 pic.twitter.com/fFtCbIz3ME

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) August 10, 2024

“She’s a Group class staying mare, she definitely fits that category,” Wilde said.

“I’ll be interested to see where she gets to, they just keep getting better these horses and she’s tracking right at the moment.

“I reckon she’s pretty good, I bought her at a ready to run sale and we had to wait and wait and wait, the next couple of seasons I think will be pretty good for her.

“She’s that Listed-Group 3 stayer, that’s (Archer) well within her grasp I think.”

Jockey Mark Zahra, who sealed a treble with the victory after earlier success on Waimarie (race 1) and Lincoln Rocks (race 3), also praised Dashing Duchess’s toughness.

“Not many horses I reckon would be able to travel as keen as she did and still be strong at the end,” Zahra said.

“Not over the top but in my hands the whole way and then able to take over 600m out, fight another horse off and then be drawing away, it takes a pretty tough mare to do it.”

MARIE LEADS THE WAI AGAIN

Waimarie is far from the finished product but was still able to post successive wins for the first time in the Ladbroke It! Handicap (1600m).

The Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained mare scored in heavy ground at Sandown at her previous outing before leading throughout to land The Valley opener with jockey Mark Zahra aboard.

blang="en" dir="ltr">Heavily backed Waimarie salutes in the first at The Valley! 👊

Mark Zahra for @busuttinpic.twitter.com/hrLdgh3f5n

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) August 10, 2024

Waimarie ($2.80) laid out in the straight but had three-quarters of a length in hand over Lievore and Electric Impulse.

“She had a very good look in the last 150m, at the winning post and everything else, but she was too good,” Zahra said.

“Even looking at her, she’s still a bit immature so there’s a bit more to come, but she’s going pretty well at the moment.”

Originally published as Tony McEvoy planning to back-up Valley winner Blue Stratum in Group 3 Vain Stakes