When Hong Kong stayer Helene Vitality lines up in Tuesday's A$4 million Melbourne Cup at Flemington racecourse, the race programme may read trainer David Hayes - but the man who has had his hands on the gelding these past two months is someone else.
Tony McEvoy took up training under the banner of the Lindsay Park Stud operation following the death of Hayes' brother Peter in a plane crash last year. McEvoy has spent 20 years in the machinery of the stable, first under the brothers' late father Colin, then as right hand man to Peter. It was a measure of David Hayes' confidence in him that he handed the reins straight to McEvoy.
Though instructions arrive regularly from Hayes in Hong Kong, the actual day-to-day supervision of Helene Vitality has been under McEvoy's control during this Melbourne spring and it was worth seeking his opinion on the SAR's hope for international glory.
'Obviously, I don't really know how he is in Hong Kong even though David tries to give me a good description, but Helene Vitality has done very well here. Eats and drinks well and the horse is in very good condition,' McEvoy said yesterday, after the stayer completed a light workout at Flemington. 'As far as his race form is concerned, well, he ran a slashing race first-up in the Craiglee Stakes here and his other run at Flemington was outstanding too behind Northerly.
'At Caulfield, he wasn't as good in either race and he probably has to improve on his Caulfield Cup run, but it was probably due to the track. From what I've seen of him, I think there's every reason to think he will do better on Tuesday.
'Helene Vitality is used to racing right-handed in Hong Kong, as they do in Sydney, and a lot of horses from Sydney don't handle Caulfield at all. Actually, for that matter, even a lot of horses I train here at Flemington don't seem to particularly like Caulfield. It is that kind of track. But we do know he handles Flemington.'
