Kerrin McEvoy will return from suspension next week and the leading hoop has been booked to ride star filly Stay With Me in the 2016 Light Fingers Stakes at Rosehill Gardens on February 13.
Kerrin McEvoy will ride Stay With Me when she returns to the races in the 2016 Light Fingers Stakes. Photo by: Ultimate Racing Photos
McEvoy received a lengthy 14 meeting suspension for careless riding on Ajani at Rosehill Gardens on January 2 – an incident which led to the fall of fellow hoop Adam Hyeronimus – but his suspension ends next Monday and he will return to Saturday racing with an exciting book of rides.
Stay With Me was ridden by Dwayne Dunn during the majority of her 2015 Spring Racing Carnival campaign and he steered her to victory in the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m), but with Dunn set to remain in Melbourne McEvoy will get first crack at the Group 1 winner in the Light Finger Stakes and he is hopeful that he can retain the forward throughout the 2016 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival.
“She is a lovely pick-up for me,” McEvoy said.
“She was a classy filly during the spring and it looks as though as has come back in great order.
“She won a trial the other day there at Randwick and I can’t wait to go around on her first-up.
“Hopefully I do everything right and I can stay on her throughout the campaign if everything goes well.”
Another talented horse that McEvoy is set to partner at Rosehill Gardens on February 13 is Rich Enuff, who is set to make his debut for Team Snowden in the Group 3 Southern Cross Stakes (1200m).
Rich Enuff failed to fire during the 2015 Spring Racing Carnival, but McEvoy has been impressed with what he has seen of the four-year-old in the lead-up to his autumn campaign and he is hopeful that the entire can return to the form that he showed when he finished second behind Shooting To Win in the 2014 edition of the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m).
“He has always had ability the horse,” McEvoy said.
“He disappointed a little bit last campaign there in Melbourne, but he has impressed us.
“I have ridden him a couple of times on the track and that trial the other day was fairly good.
“Look for him to show-up and run a good race fresh as well.”
McEvoy ended his partnership with Godolphin in 2014, but he was still able to record four Group 1 victories last year.
