Big race jockey Kerrin McEvoy will ride She Will Reign when she resumes for the 2018 Spring Carnival in the Group 2 $200,000 Missile Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday.

Kerrin McEvoy and She Will Reign, above winning the 2017 Moir Stakes,, will re-unite in the 2018 Missile Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Kerrin McEvoy and She Will Reign, above winning the 2017 Moir Stakes,, will re-unite in the 2018 Missile Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

McEvoy has had one ride on She Will Reign for a win in the Group 1 $500,000 Charter Keck Cramer Moir Stakes (1000m) at The Valley during the 2017 Melbourne Spring Carnival and trainer Gary Portelli will be instructing him to use the same come from behind tactics in the Missile Stakes.

“I want her to get back and once the jockey decides to go just keep going and hopefully she’s good enough to match it with these good sprinters over 1200,” Portelli told AAP.

She Will Reign’s last win was in the $250,000 Inglis Sprint (1100m) at Warwick Farm on February 10 while the rising four year old mare will be having her first race start since finishing fifth to Catchy in the Group 2 $600,000 Arrowfield 3yo Sprint (1200m) at Randwick on April 14 and will line up in the Missile Stakes after two barriers, a third over 735m at Randwick on July 3 followed by a win over 900m at Rosehill on July 23.

She Will Reign was the champion two year old of her juvenile season which she wrapped up with a win in the 2017  Group 1 $3.5m Longines Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill during the Autumn Carnival.

Potelli said that he will wait and see how She Will Reign performs first up in the Missile Stakes before mapping out a program for the remainder of the 2018 Spring Carnival.

“The preparation will all hinge on what she does in this race, as far as what distance we go up to,” Portelli said.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how she goes. It’s going to be a very high-pressure race, I’ve got no doubt, with the horses they’re spruiking going into the Missile first-up and with horses trying to get into The Everest.

“It just might open the race up for something swooping and that’s the way I want her ridden.”

She Will Reign is one of nine nominations for the Missile Stakes, which also includes Group 1 winners Kementari, Music Magnate and Takedown, with extra entries being called for after the The Australian Turf Club extended the deadline for the nominations until 11am on Tuesday July 31, 2018.

Nominations for the 2018 Missile Stakes (1200m)

# Last 10 Horse Sex Age Trainer Hcp Rating
1 01Dx0230x9 BOSS LANE G 8 Ron Quinton 101
2 5278x1327x EGYPTIAN SYMBOL M 6 Bjorn Baker 103
3 320x11130x KEMENTARI H 4 James Cummings 109
4 1x1x31117x LANCIATO (NZ) G 6 Mark Newnham 103
5 50100x1x0x MUSIC MAGNATE (NZ) G 7 Bjorn Baker 111
6 37x121122x PIERATA H 4 Gregory Hickman 105
7 1x10x1085x SHE WILL REIGN M 4 Gary Portelli 108
8 510x23723x SHOWTIME H 4 Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes 106
9 400x78056x TAKEDOWN G 6 Gary Moore 103

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.