Kerrin McEvoy to ride at Sunshine Coast for Caloundra Cup

Superstar jockey Kerrin McEvoy has revealed his Caloundra Cup day aims and hopes to join forces with juggernaut trainer Chris Waller.

Kerrin McEvoy has made the call to ride on Caloundra Cup day at the Sunshine Coast. Picture: Getty Images

Champion jockey Kerrin McEvoy has announced he will make the trip from NSW to the Sunshine Coast for the Caloundra Cup raceday for the final event of the Queensland winter carnival.

The Group 1 Tattersall’s Tiara in Brisbane is generally the final meeting for NSW and Victorian jockeys but that changed in 2022 when leading hoop Nash Rawiller opted to stick around.

The decision paid dividends for Rawiller who went on to win the feature race aboard Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained stayer Le Don De Vie.

This season the nine race-card on July 1 has again received a boost in funding with three $300,000 black type events such as the Caloundra Cup (listed), Winx Guineas (Group 3) and the Glasshouse Handicap (Listed).

Le Don De Vie reigns supreme in the Caloundra Cup!@nashhot@[e-mail]/haKk4V5nAO

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) July 2, 2022

McEvoy said it was an easy decision to make.

“It’s obviously a day with some great prize money, good racing and no doubt some fields stacked with talent,” he said.

“Nash Rawiller was successful here last year and a lot of those big stables aim for this day.”

The three-time Melbourne Cup-winning hoop said he hoped to join forces with juggernaut trainer Chris Waller.

“I’ve been riding for Chris Waller down south and up in Queensland over the past few weeks given his stable rider James McDonald is overseas at the moment,” he said.

“Hopefully I can pick up a ride for Chris in the main race, he’s got many stayers but we’ll wait and see which ones head towards it and he’s always got a number of horses in the market for those sort of races.”

Kerrin McEvoy wins easily aboard Angelus at Corbould Park back in 2012. Picture: Cade Mooney

McEvoy, who has recorded 81 Group 1 wins in his 26 year career, said he hoped he could find some success on the Caloundra track.

“The Caloundra track is one that I haven't ridden on in a few years, I remember I had a winner on the synthetic track once before but I haven't yet tasted success on the grass track,” he said.

“It’s a brilliant track, very big and spacious that’s very fair for every runner in the race.

“From a jockeys point of view it’s very enjoyable to ride on, it’s a fantastic venue, the patrons are on top of the action and more often than not the sun is out so it’s great to be apart of it.”

Sunshine Coast Turf Club CEO John Miller said he was looking forward to the coming days.

“It’s exciting, only a couple of weeks out and we’re obviously the final event of the Queensland winter carnival which has been great,” he said.

“We’re looking forward to finishing with a bang, our three feature races have gone to $300,000 each so to have them at that level makes a pretty compelling case to try and get some of the better horses, trainers and jockeys attending our day.”

Originally published as Kerrin McEvoy to ride at Sunshine Coast for Caloundra Cup