McEvoy Pair Ready To Trial
- Sunday, 25 January 2015 07:36
Imported stayers Big Memory and Le Roi are pleasing their trainer Tony McEvoy ahead of autumn Group One campaigns.
Both will run in barrier trials in Sydney this week before being sent to Melbourne for their racetrack returns.
Big Memory raced to prominence during the spring winning the Herbert Power Stakes (2400m) at Caulfield, earning a start in the Caulfield Cup in which he finished 10th behind Japanese galloper Admire Rakti.
A last-ditch effort to make the Melbourne Cup field failed when Big Memory finished second in The Lexus Stakes.
He backed up up a week later to finish third in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes won by stablemate Le Roi.
After running second to Prince Of Penzance in the Moonee Valley Cup, Le Roi turned the tables on that horse in the Queen Elizabeth (2600m).
"I couldn't be happier with how they are going," McEvoy said.
"They'll be trialling at Randwick at the end of the month and will have their first-up runs in Melbourne.
Big Memory will be kept to handicaps during the autumn while Le Roi will follow a weight-for-age program through to the BMW (2400m) at Rosehill on March 28.
He said Le Roi would kick off his campaign in the Peter Young Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield on February 28 and progress to the Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington on March 14.
Big Memory is likely to have his first run back in the Carlyon Cup (1600m) at Caulfield on February 14.
"I think I will keep him to handicaps at this stage and he may go through to the Mornington Cup," McEvoy said.
"I would prefer to back off him after that and set him for the spring rather go too deep into Sydney, but that's a decision that will be made on his form at the time."
