Last Wish comes true for Tony McEvoy as hot-shot It’s A Silvertrail goes under

RUSHING into stakes grade isn’t something trainer Tony McEvoy will be tempted by despite a strong win by improving stayer Last Wish at Rosehill.

Rosehill Races

RUSHING into stakes grade isn’t something trainer Tony McEvoy will be tempted by despite a strong win by improving stayer Last Wish at Rosehill.

In an upset, Last Wish ($16) produced a slick turn of foot in the last 200m to streak away from Husson Choice ($5.50) by two lengths with favourite It’s A Silvertrail ($2) another length back in third in the 2400m test.

Given it was only Last Wish’s second win McEvoy said it would be a waste of a couple of good races for him to ask the four-year-old to tackle a race like the Listed Australia Day Cup (2400m), run at Randwick on January 24.

‘’In staying terms he is a young horse and I think we would be throwing away a few races iof we did that,’’ McEvoy said.

‘’The Australia Day Cup is only worth $100,000, this races was $85,000. It is not as if it is $400,000 so I think we can be more patient.’’

Last Wish was having only his third start for McEvoy having been previously trained by the late Guy Walter.

Last Wish and Sam Clipperton. Picture: Simon Bullard

McEvoy described Saturday’s race as a crossroad for the horse because he’d been deflated by his second-up failure at Canterbury last month.

‘’My knowledge of this horse is only small but coming into today I was a little unsure about him.

‘’But be impressed me. I don’t think I could have presented him better, the horse had worked well and he was fit but I needed to see that.

‘’The third run back at a mile and a half suited him and I think the blinkers were important for him.’’

Jockey Sam Clipperton said considering the trying conditions Last Wish really impressed him with the turn of foot he showed when he found clear running.

Sam Clipperton pilots outsider Last Wish to an impressive win. Picture: Getty Images

‘’I was in a bit of trouble early in the straight but once I found daylight he sprinted through really strongly,’’ he said.

‘’I had a lot of horse underneath me and I was towed right up to the furlong so I was the fresh horse on the scene but he won very well.’’

It was the second race in succession that a short-priced favourite fell to a McEvoy-trained horse with Shiraz downing Harrier Jet some 40 minutes earlier.

Ironically, Blake Shinn had ridden Last Wish in his previous three starts but rode the favourite It’s A Silvertrail in the race and the import seemed to have his chance.