Tweaking winning form

BALLARAT training team Tony and Calvin McEvoy will be hoping today is the day that their talented five-year-old Tewkesbury returns to the winning list at the bet365 Mildura race meeting at Sandilong Park.

Tewkesbury is a consistent galloper as he has been in the placings on 11 occasions from his 15 career starts, but he has achieved only one win when successful at Ballarat by a 1.75-length margin in April last year.

“He has been racing so unluckily and he hasn’t got a winning culture, so hopefully it can start at Mildura,” Tony McEvoy said. “He finds a way to run into one better, but he does have a lot of talent.”

Tewkesbury has raced well in his four city class races as he has finished just behind the placegetters in three of his starts as well as a narrow loss when second at Moonee Valley in February.

McEvoy had planned to start Tewkesbury at Moonee Valley on Friday night, but he was the fourth emergency for the race and the meeting was abandoned after three races.

“I had hoped to run him at Moonee Valley, but it didn’t eventuate so hopefully the back-up plan of racing at Mildura works out worthwhile,” he said.

Tewkesbury has finished second on eight occasions including at his past three starts and he fought on strongly last time at Ballarat when beaten in a photo finish.

“It was a huge performance as he did all of the work in the run and just missed out on that elusive win, but he is always thereabouts in his races and it looks a nice race for him at Mildura,” McEvoy said.

Tewkesbury is the top weight in the sixth race on the program, the BM58 Handicap, and it is top ride for Swan Hill jockey Harry Coffey who is likely to have another successful Mildura meeting.

The McEvoy stable will also line-up Saxon Blood in the Mildura & District Real Estate Maiden Plate, who has had one unplaced start at Warrnambool on wet ground last month.

“He didn’t like the soft ground, but he had trialed well at home leading up to his debut run and he is a nice young horse,” McEvoy said.

The recent combined training team of Patrick and Michelle Payne has had a terrific start to their partnership although they are yet to open up their winning account at the Mildura track which is likely to change here today.

The partnership has a big six horse team competing and they are likely to have the favoured runners in Cavill Tycoon (race 3), Zebedee Springs (race 7) and Abdication (race 8).

All three runners will be ridden by stable jockey Billy Egan. They are all racing in top form and look well suited in their respective races today.

The first of eight races on the program will be the Mallee Big Screen Maiden Plate to be run at 12.10pm and the youngster of the field in Call Me Rhonda has a top opportunity to bring up her first career win.

Call Me Rhonda put in a top performance at her debut at this track last month when chased hard to finish second behind the impressive winner Western Conqueror and can go one placing better this time.

Patrons will be admitted to today’s meeting free of charge.

SELECTIONS

1: 8 Call Me Rhonda, 1 Mr George, 5 Detoron, 4 Scorpion Bay

2: 4 Gin Rummy, 5 Saxon Blood, 1 Dartboard, 7 Verona Rupes

3: 1 Cavill Tycoon, 7 Ravenite, 2 Joviale, 8 Cheers To Us

4: 3 Finance Shogun, 9 Immortal Weapon, 8 Miss De Lune, 5 Whatdoya Mean

5: 4 Kova, 1 It’s Maui’s Gold, 7 Shikanic, 2 The Last Judgement

6: 1 Tewkesbury, 6 Midnight Lady, 2 Badonkidonk, 3 You Betcha Woo

7: 6 Zeebedee Springs, 2 Play On Words, 4 My Truth, 14 Alaskan Storm

8: 1 Application, 2 Lescot, 4 Rutilant, 3 Marnoo