McEvoy excited for repeat opportunity with great Via Sistina

Even after 84 group 1 wins spanning a quarter of a century, Kerrin McEvoy says he’s as excited as ever to get on a great horse.

And the 44-year-old has no doubt Via Sistina is in that category, and that on Saturday she can produce a repeat of her first-up effort over 1400m at Randwick the only other time he has been aboard.

Kerrin McEvoy takes Via Sistina to victory in the Winx Stakes at Randwick on August 24 last year.Credit: Getty Images

McEvoy has an excellent book of rides, headlined by Via Sistina in the group 2 Apollo Stakes, and he’s hoping for deja vu with the seven-year-old superstar, which won the Winx Stakes for him at Randwick first up over 1400m in the spring. She went on to win three more group 1s that preparation with James McDonald aboard.

“These are the ones you aspire to get on,” McEvoy said. “It’s very exciting, so hopefully we can see her do her best.

“She’s a big, strong racehorse with a powerful way of racing, and she’s been phenomenal since she’s come to Australia. She’s just gone to a new level. She’s one of the greats, for sure.”

McEvoy took Via Sistina up the inside, from well back in a 12-horse field, to grab Zougotcha on the line in the Winx Stakes. On Saturday, she faces just seven opponents and is a $2 Sportsbet favourite. Chris Waller-trained stablemate Fangirl is $4 and the Joe Pride-prepared Ceolwulf is $4.20.

“Last prep she showed she can put forward a really good first-up run,” McEvoy said.

“It’s a tiny bit of a different set-up in regards to the pace in the race. I can’t see it being as quickly run as what it was in the Winx, so that might allow us to be closer, and it’s a smallish field.

“But her trials and track gallop have shown she’s come back in good order, and it’s a quick turnaround from the spring to the autumn. I’m sure Chris has left a little bit of improvement in her, but there would be residual fitness there as well.

“Ceolwulf has gone to a new level as well last time in, so he’s got to be respected, as does Fangirl. She’s not over the line by any means, but I guess someone has got to be favourite, and she deserves favouritism.”

McEvoy also has the job on $2.60 favourite Joliestar for Waller in the group 2 Expressway Stakes (1200m), which has just six acceptors. She is also resuming off two trials and an exhibition gallop.

“We’ve seen her record a blistering win first up last prep [in the Show County Quality], and she’s trialled great since,” McEvoy said.

He was excited by another opportunity with the Waller-trained United States in the Pierro Plate (1100m) for two-year-olds after the combination just missed with a flying finish on his debut.

“He was fantastic first up,” he said. “He’s drawn the outside, which doesn’t make it all that easy, but he’s a nice colt.

“Last time I think his sectionals might have been the quickest of the day and he sort of defied the pattern a bit. He made really good ground to the line, which no horse did until late in the day.”

In the other features, McEvoy rides unbeaten Bjorn Baker-trained filly Dance To The Boom ($14) in the Light Fingers Stakes and Godolphin’s Inhibitions ($13) in the Triscay Stakes.

“She put in a really nice trial, which was my first sit on her,” he said of Dance To The Boom.

“She’s drawn out, but she’s a bit versatile. She’s a nice filly in the making, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see her run well.

“Inhibitions wasn’t beaten far the other day, and you can expect improvement off that. She raced through December and January so she’ll have fitness from those runs. She’s a nice mare with an each-way chance.”

Baker eyes Kiwi slot

Warwick Farm trainer Bjorn Baker is backing Perfumist to secure a spot in the inaugural $3.14 million NZB Kiwi slot race with a fifth consecutive win on Saturday, which would ease the pain of losing Golden Slipper hope O’ Ole.

Baker informed stewards on Friday that O’ Ole would be spelled and required surgery after injuring her left fore fetlock at the Randwick trials on Thursday. The Magic Millions Classic winner was a $21 Sportsbet chance for the Golden Slipper before the news and was set to contest the Sweet Embrace Stakes.

Tyler Schiller wins aboard Perfumist at Rosehill on January 18.Credit: Getty Images

Perfumist, meanwhile, appears set to race in the 1500m Kiwi on March 8 at Ellerslie. The Kiwi is New Zealand’s first thoroughbred slot race and the Southern Hemisphere’s richest event for three-year-olds at $NZ3.5 million.

Perfumist was also nominated for the group 2 Light Fingers Stakes (1200m) on Saturday, but Baker has opted to race the filly in the last, a benchmark 78 handicap over 1400m.

Baker flagged a shot at the Kiwi earlier in Perfumist’s winning streak, which has included three city victories in benchmark fillies and mares grade, and now says a slot is “pencilled in”.

“Perfumist is going really well, and I think she can make it five in a row, and if she does run well, we’ll look at getting over for the Kiwi,” Baker said.

“But that’s all subject to running well on Saturday, and we thought the 1400 metres might be a little bit better set-up going to the 1500m Kiwi.

“If she does run well, I think we can definitely head over there with some confidence.”

In Saturday’s features, Baker, who had a winning treble at Randwick last Saturday, has Iowna Merc in the Expressway Stakes (1200m), Arapaho in the Apollo Stakes (1400m), Dance To The Boom in the Light Fingers and Bonita Queen and Spring Lee in the Triscay Stakes (1200m). His best chances appear his Triscay duo.

“They are both going well, both are on the minimum weight and both are third up, so one thing they will bring to the race that a lot of others aren’t is race fitness,” he said.

“Bonita Queen definitely will roll forward, and Spring Lee will aim to sit in behind. Both mares are going really well and their work during the week was excellent. They are definitely not out of it, especially with that bit of race fitness.”

He was counting on race fitness to also help Iowna Merc step up in the Expressway.

“That’s what we are hoping to bring to it, and he’s at a rating where he’s hard to place,” he said.

“He gets in OK at the set weights and penalties, and if we get the rain, that race may change slightly as well.”