Trainer Tony McEvoy will concentrate on the 2019 The Everest with his multiple Group 1 winning filly Sunlight after he drew the curtain on her Robert Sangster Stakes campaign.
Sunlight, above, has been sent to the paddock and will miss the Robert Sangster Stakes at Morphettville. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Sunlight collected three Group 1 wins from her last five starts and would have started a short priced favourite for the Group 1 $600,000 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville on Saturday.
The three year old Zoustar filly beat her own age to win the Group 1 $1m Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on day one of the 2018 Melbourne Cup Carnival and added two more Group 1 trophies to her record during the 2019 Melbourne Autumn Carnival.
Sunlight took on the older sprinters under handicap conditions to win the Group 1 $1.25m Seppelt Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington and then made it back to back Group 1 wins with an all the way win in the weight for age Group 1 $500,000 Keogh Homes William Reid Stakes (1200m) at The Valley.
McEvoy then took the three year old filly to Sydney for the Group 1 $2.5m Aquis T J Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on the first day of The Championships where she finished third behind Santa Ana Lane and Osborne Bulls.
Sunlight was given a 1000m barrier trial at Gawler last Friday and McEvoy decided to send her to the paddock after finishing second and will now prepare her for the $14m The Everest (1200m) at Randwick on October 19.
“She trialled pretty much as I expected,’’ McEvoy told The Advertiser.
“I said to the owners after the trial I just wanted to see how she pulled up.
“She was a little bit flat compared with her usual self, so we opted to send her to the paddock and we can now focus on getting her ready for The Everest.’’
McEvoy will still be represented in the Robert Sangster Stakes with Cool Passion who has drawn barrier four in the fifteen horse field with Jamie Kah in the saddle.
Cool Passion is on the second line of betting at $6 at Ladbrokes.com.au for the Robert Sangster Stakes behind the Gary Frazer trained $4 favourite Spright.
