SUSTAINED results in recent years has seen SA-based trainer Tony McEvoy nationally recognised as a marvellous trainer of two-year-olds.
He now spends-up at all the major yearling sales and in the past few years that break-out policy has achieved big results.
In early January this year his brilliant Zoustar filly Sunlight scored a runaway win in the $2 million Magic Millions Classic on the Gold Coast.
And make no mistake, McEvoy is out to repeat that Classic victory this year and it could well be with another of Zoustar’s progeny.
Traditionally the $200,000 McLachlan Stakes (1200m) is a serious guide to the Magic Millions Classic and McEvoy holds a dominant hand in this year’s renewal at Doomben tomorrow.
Every year we encounter a boom two-year-old, often unraced but always touted as being the next “big thing”.
It’s happened again this year with McEvoy’s unraced Zouster filly, JUST ZERENE.
The tips and raps from punters range from “brilliant” to the “best two-year-old anyone has seen”.
It all means zero until they come out and did it on the racetrack.
JUST ZERENE, remarkably, is marked a $2.00 raging hot favourite in the McLachlan, despite the fact the field is full of seriously talented youngsters.
JUST ZERENE has been backed from 50-1 into 6-1 to win the Magic Millions Classic, placing her on the third line of betting for that race.
Tomorrow she will tackle, among others, stable-mate SUN CITY (also by Zoustar, $9.50), a runner-up on debut to Unite And Conquer in the Listed Maribyrnong Trial at Flemington in October.
His only other run was a closing second to The Odyssey in the Listed Phelan Ready at Doomben on December 15 when an odds-on favourite.
Team Snowden has Pierro colt ROME ($7.50) engaged and his only start was a prominent fourth to Dubious in the Group 3 Breeders Plate at Randwick back in September.
He closed hard that day after settling near the rear, and the extra 200-metres of the McLachlan should suit ideally.
MISHANI SPIRIT ($7.00) is a locally bred filly who has easily won both of her starts, firstly at Toowoomba by four lengths followed by a runaway win at the Gold Coast when an odds-on favourite.
She is very fast and now must step up to 1200-metres for the first time.
DIVINE FACTOR made his debut at Eagle Farm last week and charged late to run second to Dubious.
The fact his Gold Coast-based trainer Michael Costa has decided to back him up would suggest he has done extremely well since making his debut just a week ago.
Chris Munce’s WOWSERS is marked huge odds at $51 given his debut win at the Sunshine Coast was on very heavy ground.
But he won for fun and should be respected.
So that all brings us back to ZUST SERENE and what can we expect from her.
McEvoy has gone on record in Brisbane this week as saying she is a very good filly with natural ability.
All that does is tell us something we had already guessed to be right – she can run!
Something each-way ROME might be the safest way to go in this race, and keep a very close watch on the boom filly, JUST SERENE.
Good luck!
