Tony McEvoy’s outstanding run with juveniles rolled on at Sandown today when promising colt Maximus Moonard won the listed Merson Cooper Stakes (1000m) in impressive fashion.
Allowed to settle well back in the field by Craig Williams, Maximus Moonard produced an outstanding run over the concluding stages to reel in the leaders and race clear for an eye catching victory.
The win is the third this season with two-year-olds by the top Angaston based horseman – two of them in stakes races.
And McEvoy is hoping to cash in on the early success with three of his charges heading to feature Magic Millions events while the other, also a Gold Coast purchase, being aimed at the Blue Diamond Stakes.
“It’s very exciting to have these horses up and running as two-year-olds,” McEvoy said. “It just shows how good the facility we’ve got.”
“Colin Hayes set it up that way and there’s been many two-year-old winners trained off the place. It is making us look good.”
“Wayne Mitchell and I planned to buy it. Wayne supported me and we’ve spent a lot of money. We’ve put in two new tracks.”
“The place is a fabulous facility – it always has been. It was just getting a little tired, so we’ve upgraded it.”
“We’ve still got 250 acres of fencing to do and we’re going to make it the best place in South Australia for sure and one of the best in Australia,” McEvoy added.
“We bought 13 two-year-olds as yearlings and have a few others sent to us. The ones who have come through so far have shown us some good talent.”
McEvoy purchased Maximus Moonard for $26,000 from the draft of Robert Thompson’s Mornmoot Thoroughbreds at this year’s Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale.
He is one of two winners from two to race for the lightly raced Perugino mare Still the One.
“He lines up a little with Little Critter who won in Adelaideand Swipeline who ran at Moonee Valley and I thought was quite unlucky,” McEvoy said.
“He’s probably a little below (the stable’s other juvenile stakes winner) Jimando – but I thought he could come here and run in the first four and not embarass us – he went fantastic.”
“He’s a nice horse. I had him for $11,000 and then I’d love to meet the person who chimed in when the hammer was about to fall – they could take me to lunch.”
“He’s a really lovely horse. I bought him because I had his sister at home who was a fantastic track worker – but just couldn’t produce it on game day and I was hoping this guy could.”
McEvoy said he was hoping his great early run in juvenile races would continue in the rich Magic Millions juvvenile races to come over the coming months.
“This horse (Maximus Moonard) will go to the Gold Coast. Little Critter will run at Wyong in December in the Magic Millions lead up.”
“Typhoon Tilly who ran fifth at Flemington she’ll run in a maiden at Canterbury on the 9th of December and then go to the Gold Coast.”
“And Jimando will have either one run or go straight into the Blue Diamond (Stakes),” McEvoy summed up.
The $2 million BMW Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1200m) will be run at the Gold Coast on January 15.
The 2012 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale will be held at Morphettville on March 13 and 14.
Winner: Maximus Moonard
Breeding: Fomalhaut-Still the One (Perugino)
Race: MRC Merson Cooper Stakes LR (1000m)
Sold for: $26,000
Sale: 2011 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale
Vendor: Mornmoot Thoroughbreds
Buyer: Tony McEvoy
Earnings: $60,000
Owner(s): Pipeliner Bloodstock Pty Ltd (Mgr: WG Mitchell)
Trainer: Tony McEvoy (Angaston)
