Jockey Kerrin McEvoy believes Kluger a ‘force to be reckoned with’ in the Mackinnon Stakes

Kerrin McEvoy believes recent surgery can help Kluger can put the cherry on top of Japan’s big spring carnival. Plus Santa Ana Lane and Melody Belle hope to fly their stable’s flags.

Star jockey Kerrin McEvoy is hopeful that recent laser surgery could see the return of the Kluger he knows.

The Japanese stayer’s breathing was troubled in last month’s Cox Plate, leading to a 13th-place finish.

Later examinations uncovered entrapped epiglottis — a growth in the throat that can hinder the respiratory ability of the horse — but a swift laser surgery has corrected the issue and McEvoy is confident that the eight-year-old will bounce back with a vengeance in the Mackinnon Stakes on Saturday.

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Kluger gallops during a track work session at Werribee this week. Picture: AAP Image

“He was below par in the Cox Plate and there was a reason behind that,” he said.

“If you look at his last 2000m run, he was only a length and a half behind Winx. So the only other horse to do that in recent times was Humidor. If he can get back to that sort of form, then he’ll be a force to be reckoned with in this race.

“(The entrapped epiglottis) was a fair excuse to have run below par. The team have been happy with him since and he wouldn’t be running unless he was 100 per cent.

“A couple of quiet days on the track and some work Tuesday and Thursday this week … he’s a good horse when he’s right.”

McEvoy — who won last year’s Melbourne Cup on Cross Counter — went without a win on Oaks Day which he said had only made him hungrier to salute on Stakes Day.

He said the “old stalwarts” like Damien Oliver and Craig Williams had put on a clinic this week that he was determined to join.

“They’re showing the young guns how to do it,” he laughed.

“Hopefully I can join that parade.”

Opie Bosson will again Melody Belle on Stakes Day. Picture: Getty Images

MELODY BELLE: WHY WIN WOULD EASE PAST PAIN

Jamie Richards has some unfinished business to take care of in Saturday’s Mackinnon Stakes.

The Te Akau Racing trainer endured heartbreak just minutes before the 2017 $2 million Stakes Day feature at Flemington when “stable favourite” Gingernuts broke down on his way to the barriers.

Fast forward two years and Richards has race favourite Melody Belle — who is hunting an 11th Group 1 win for the year with the world’s highest tally for 2019 — and redemption is on his radar.

“Yeah ... to have (Gingernuts) injure himself like he did and to be back here with another runner in the race, it’s great,” he said.

“Hopefully we can sort it out — set the record straight and get the Kiwis on the honour board again.”

Stakes Day will mark the first time that the star mare will have backed up to race within seven days, having claimed last Saturday’s Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes at Flemington in incredible style.

It might be uncharted territory for the five-year-old, but Richards said all had gone smoothly so far.

Trainer Jamie Richards has a lot of love for Melody Belle after a blistering year. Picture: AAP Image

“(She’s had) a bit of a rest and relaxation. We haven’t backed her up before, so I guess that’s probably the question mark with her,” he said.

“But she’s had a fairly quiet week — been to the beach a couple of times, had a canter ... but she’s eaten well during the week and importantly she’s held her weight from last Saturday. That gives us a bit of confidence along with the checklist that we like to keep on top of that hopefully she’ll be going into the race in good form.”

The New Zealand horse of the year has relished wet conditions that will be present again today, though Richards said the biggest plus of the expected hail and rain would be that “it slows some of the opposition down”.

He said “Valerie” — as she is known to stable staff — had become “very special” to the Te Akau crew and had only continued to impress since crossing the Tasman.

“We thought she was going really well (in New Zealand), but what you think and then you come over here and see the strength of the opposition, sometimes you’ve just got to let your horse do the talking a little bit,” he said.

“Thankfully, she did that and performed well.

“It’s great to win Group 1s anywhere, but to come over and be competitive here on a big day (last weekend), it was great. She won with a bit of authority, but she’s got to take that next step up again (today).”

Richards said the mare’s next move would be assessed after today, but the early plan is to return to Australia in the autumn.

“Hopefully she’s got lots of good racing in front of her,” he said.

Santa Ana Lane (right) stormed home in The Everest and chases Group 1 glory at Flemington on Saturday. Pic: AFP

VRC SPRINT: SANTA IS COMIN’ TO TOWN

‘Santa’ is coming to town and looming larger than this time 12 months ago, assistant trainer Sam Freedman has declared in a stark warning to rivals ahead of Saturday’s VRC Sprint.

Santa Ana Lane — one of the world’s top speedsters — will attempt to defend his title in the 1200m race at Flemington today after edging out In Her Time on Stakes Day last year to win the Group 1.

And the “flag-bearer” for the Freedman stable — led by Sam’s father Anthony — has recovered from The Everest far better than 12 months ago to sit favourite today.

“He is very full of himself,” Sam Freedman said.

“Last year after The Everest, he probably took a week or 10 days to bounce out of it. We were very closely monitoring him going into the VRC Sprint last year to make sure that he was in good shape.

“But this year he bounced out of The Everest.

Oh what a season it was - watch Santa Ana Lane announce himself as one of Australia's best sprinters in the 2018 VRC Sprint Classic.

Also, Matt Hill's call. 👌 pic.twitter.com/WyiW5dL5jS

— Racing.com (@Racing) November 8, 2019

“I watched him canter around here this morning at Flemington and he is very fresh and full of himself. He is jumping out of his skin.

“His work on Tuesday morning here was super and his regular work rider is very happy with him … the whole team couldn’t be happier with him. Hopefully we can get the same result.”

Freedman said the team was not feeling pressure to go back-to-back in the $2 million weight-for-age sprint down the famous straight.

“You dot all your i’s and cross all your t’s and we feel like we’ve got him in very good shape,” he said.

“Now it’s up to the jockey on his back.”

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Mark Zahra has the job on Santa Ana Lane after saluting last year, and Sam admitted that a victory would be the cherry on top to a fruitful spring for the Freedman camp.

“We’ve had a really good spring so far with Super Seth in the Guineas and Warning in the Derby,” he said.

“It would be nice to finish off with Santa Ana Lane, who has been the flag-bearer for the stable for so many years.

“He really has been the rejuvenation of my dad Anthony and his training career, so it would be nice to cap off the spring with him winning a Group 1."

Originally published as Jockey Kerrin McEvoy believes Kluger a ‘force to be reckoned with’ in the Mackinnon Stakes