Paximadia Chasing Back-To-Back Wins At Group Level

Jockey Kerrin McEvoy is confident that classy colt Paximadia can record his second straight win at Group level in the Sandown Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on Saturday.

Paximadia will be having his final race start in Australia in the Sandown Guineas at Caulfield on Saturday.

Paximadia will be having his final race start in Australia in the Sandown Guineas at Caulfield on Saturday. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia

Paximadia started his 2013 Spring Racing Carnival campaign with a strong win in the Listed Vintage Stakes (1410m) and after a poor performance in the Listed Gothic Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield returned to his best with a win in the Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on Victoria Derby Day.

The Commands colt relished the clear running that he found in the Carbine Club Stakes and McEvoy told Racing Ahead that he will be looking to keep the three-year-old out of trouble when he returns to Caulfield this weekend.

“All reports are that he has come out of that win in good style and we dominated that day,” McEvoy said

“I was happy to get him out into a nice spot and into a nice rhythm.

“Caulfield he got cluttered away and didn’t enjoy that or the slowish tempo.

“We will take that into consideration when we go back to Caulfield on Saturday and he has the extra furlong as well.

“He is a horse that has really good ability and I am looking forward to keeping him in winning ways this Saturday.”

McEvoy has previously combined with trainer Peter Snowden to win the Sandown Guineas with Caymans (2008), Kidnapped (2009) and Tatra (2012), and the leading jockey believes that Paximadia is just as good as the horses he has previously ridden to victory in the Group 2 event.

“Obviously the Sandown Guineas is a race that myself and Peter have had good success in, in the past, and we will be gunning for another feature win this Saturday,” McEvoy said.

“He is a horse that had a good winter campaign in Brisbane and I really feel that he is physically and mentally coming together nicely.

“He is only going to get better I think and he has a nice profile for this race.”

Paximadia is set to be one of several Darley horses that will join the Godolphin team in Europe or Dubai for next season and McEvoy, who will represent Australia in the Hong Kong International Jockeys’ Championship next month, is confident that the Carbine Club Stakes winner can add a European win at Group level to his racing resume.

“I think he might even show more over a little bit further, so there is a another string to his bow there,” McEvoy said.

“He has definitely got scope and it will open a few more doors for him over there if he can get a little bit further.

“He is a horse that if he adapts to those races and settles in, there are ample opportunities to win some black type overseas as well.”

About The Author

Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.