Tony McEvoy believes Dublin Down and Rue De Royale have plenty to offer in the Golden Slipper

Father and son trainers Tony and Calvin McEvoy saddle up two of the outsiders in the Group 1 Golden Slipper but warned not to dismiss their talented colts.

Progressive colt Dublin Down is backing is looking to cause an upset in the Golden Slipper on Saturday. Picture: Grant Guy

Trainer Tony McEvoy is adamant he’s got a very good colt on his hands with tough juvenile Dublin Down while declaring stablemate Rue De Royale is a ‘ridiculous’ price in Saturday’s coveted Group 1 $5m Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens.

McEvoy, who trains with his son Calvin, will travel to Sydney from their Ballarat base with a pair of outsiders for the richest two-year-old race in the world.

Unbeaten colts Storm Boy and Switzerland have rightly stolen much of the attention in the lead up to Slipper but McEvoy is confident he’s got a pair of nice colts of his own.

Dublin Down, a son of Coolmore Stud Stakes winner Exceedance, was one of the last horses to confirm his spot in the Golden Slipper field after toughing it out on speed to win the Group 3 Pago Pago Stakes last weekend at Rosehill.

“And Dublin Down is going to gatecrash the Golden Slipper!”

Dublin Down takes out the G3 TAB Pago Pago Stakes for @mcevoymitchell!@aus_turf_clubpic.twitter.com/o5ukpif6eZ

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) March 16, 2024

“It was a really good win,” McEvoy said.

“He is very good colt this one and we’ve thought it for a long time.

“He really stepped up to the plate last week and I was very pleased with him so let’s hope he can do the same seven days later.”

Dublin Down has already been tested once in Group 1 company after finishing back in 12th in the Blue Diamond at Caulfield in February.

But the McEvoys went into the race knowing it would be an impossible but necessary task to prepare Dublin Down for a trip to Sydney.

“The plan was never to run in the Blue Diamond first-up but we just couldn’t get him there in time to run in the lead ups,” McEvoy said.

“We had to get him racing to get him to this race and that’s why he ran in the Blue Diamond, which was an impossible task for him.

“With more luck he would have finished within two lengths of the winner there and confirmed to us that he was going really well and he stepped up beautifully in Sydney last week.”

Dublin Down is a $26 chance in the Slipper while Rue De Royale is the field’s ultimate outsider at $151 with Chad Schofield booked.

Rue De Royale is the only maiden in the Slipper field but has form around several contenders.

The son of Per Incanto was a fast-finishing second to Shangri La Express in the Golden Gift last year before running a close runner up to Fully Lit in the Inglis Millennium in February.

An awkward draw proved costly in the Group 1 Blue Diamond before the colt worked home strongly to finish second behind Traffic Warden in the Group 2 VRC Sires’ last start.

“I respect the market but Rue De Royale is a ridiculous price,” McEvoy said.

“He was stiff not to win the VRC Sires’ down here and that would have changed all of that of course.

HAYASUGI WINS THE 2024 BLUE DIAMOND STAKES! 💎

IT'S THE MCDONALD CLAN AGAIN!@[e-mail]/MjOflaqBro

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) February 24, 2024

“He is a lovely horse and he seems bright and well, and has more to offer.

“I think he is a good quality colt that has been stiff not to win one of these target races.”

McEvoy has come close to winning the Golden Slipper in the past with stablemates and future Group 1 winners Sunlight and Oohood finishing second and third respectively behind Estijaab in 2018.

“I’ve loved training two-year-olds for a long, long time and this is the biggest two-year-old race so it would mean a lot to all of us in the team if we could win this,” McEvoy said.

“To have two of the 16 is a tremendous effort from everyone.”

The McEvoys will bring highly talented three-year-old Veight to Sydney for a second time after the colt finished fourth in the Group 1 Sires’ Produce Stakes last year.

Veight has been a consistent performer at the top level throughout his 10 start career, finishing runner up in both the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas last spring and Group 1 Australian Guineas last start behind Southport Tycoon.

Veight ($11) is one of four three-year-old to take on the George Ryder Stakes (1500m) with Damian Lane travelling to Sydney to pilot the colt.

“We are trying to win a Group 1 win with Veight,” McEvoy said.

“He has shown he is an elite level horse, he has had two seconds in the Group 1s and a fourth so he is waiting for his turn really so hoping it’s Saturday.

“I’ve been pleased with him since his last start, he’s in a happy place and that was only third up so he’s still got some more to offer this preparation.

“He is very bright and well.”

If all goes to plan, Veight could line up in a Group 1 $1.5m All Aged Stakes (1400m) later in the Sydney autumn.

Originally published as Tony McEvoy believes Dublin Down and Rue De Royale have plenty to offer in the Golden Slipper