With the likes of Sunlight and Hey Doc retired in recent seasons, Tony and Calvin McEvoy are on the hunt for their next good horse and they are hoping they might have found one in Xtravagant Star.
The filly is likely to be their only Sydney autumn carnival runner when she tests the waters in the $2 million Inglis Millennium (1100m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Tony Mcevoy says losing the stable’s established performers in a short space of time has left a significant void and he is looking to the next generation to lay the foundations for the future.
“I’m rebuilding that (top) end of my stable after retiring Sunlight and retiring Sisstar and retiring Hey Doc and Dollar For Dollar,” McEvoy said.
“That leaves a massive hole.
“But I’ve got some cracking young horses coming through like this filly, and if we can manage them well and keep them sound, they will be there for us for a few years.”
McEvoy is not one to rush his two-year-olds but Xtravagant Star had other ideas.
After demonstrating early ability at home, she showed a good will to win on debut when she kicked on strongly to lead throughout at Geelong in a manner that convinced connections she deserved a shot at Saturday’s race.
She appears to have adapted well to the Sydney way of going, subsequently trialling impressively at Randwick and rounding out her preparations with a course proper gallop at headquarters on Tuesday.
“She just wanted to be at the front of the bus all the way through, this girl,” McEvoy said.
“She didn’t want to wait any longer, so we decided to go with her and she has really impressed me.”
McEvoy, who produced Pegasi to finish third to fellow Victorian raider Profiteer in the corresponding race last year, admits it is difficult to line up the Sydney and Melbourne form this time around.
But he regards undefeated colt and race favourite Sejardan as the logical yardstick and if Xtravagant Star can go toe-to-toe with him, it will open up her autumn options.
“The favourite has been pretty good. That’s the benchmark in this race, that’s the form line and all the others, including my filly, have got to come up to that,” he said.
“We have been placed in this race three or four times, so we are due to win one.”