Hi Fans and Punters,
It’s been another huge week in racing and I have been all over it like a cheap suit trying to find a winner for this weeks’ time honoured Award.
The Warrnambool Carnival is over for another year and there were plenty of huge hangovers and empty pockets after 3 days of punting, drinking and watching Darren Weir add a heap to his retirement fund. Back Weir drink beer was the catchcry from his loyal followers.
John Allen had a great carnival winning races over the jumps and on the flat. Very underrated talent in the saddle. And Ric McIntosh screamed his way into immortality by adding excitement to the jumps races. Perhaps a little bit manufactured but he gets the job done.
This week’s winner though hails from the home of the Great White Shark, not Greg Norman but the real ones that bite you, tenderise you and then swallow you whole. The boy from Streaky Bay in South Australia, Kerrin McEvoy.
I know I say it about most of the people I write about but seriously, Kerrin is one of the nicest people I have met in our sport. He always has a smile on his dial, even though he is a Swan’s supporter and they are going like busted’s at the moment.
He seems to have been around for a while but he is still only 36 years old, married to the lovely Cathy nee Payne and has 4 great kids. Apart from taking a leak behind the barriers one day, he has never been involved in any controversy and has acted professionally throughout his stellar career.
After riding the 2000 Cup winner Brew, he then became leading rider for the Darley/Godolphin Australian franchise and rode a heap of winners for them both here and in Europe. He has won 2 Melbourne Cups, a Golden Slipper and a Caulfield Cup and only needs a Cox Plate to become the 8th rider to complete our Grand Slam.
When John O’Shea took over from Peter Snowden and employed successful punter James McDonald as his number one rider (one bet one winner), Kerrin saw the writing on the wall and left the stable. He did it without fuss, complete dignity and respect and there were many who doubted if he would kick on without the backing of a leading stable. How wrong they were!!! He has gone from strength to strength and is one of the most sought after jocks in the country these days. He has just come off a patch of winners over the Sydney Carnival which entailed him riding something like 23 winners from about 50 rides. That’s probably bullshit but he rode a lot of winners.
Yesterday at Morphetville he rode top class and badly named filly Egg Tart in the SA Oaks. The best way to describe it is that it was a great ride that could have easily gone wrong, and almost did.
After being in the barriers for about 90 minutes awaiting the start (also exaggerated bullshit), Egg Tart got a long way further back than its loyal punters would have liked. However, he landed behind the favourite and logical danger Kenedna ridden and trained by the aforementioned legends Allen and Weir.
Approaching the 800 Kerrin decided to move off the fence because Kenedna was taking him nowhere. At that point, the heavens opened up for Kenedna and she got a saloon run along the rails to the turn whilst Kerrin was caught behind a couple who were in reverse.
Persevering and not panicking, Kerrin zigged and zagged in the straight, got to the outside literally in the shadows of the post and “The Tart” did the rest lobbing to victory on the line in a tight photo with Kenedna.
Apart from making the old Tommy’s household awash with cash, a new rhyming slang expression was invented. After the usual side effects of eating baked beans are apparent, instead of asking “oh my God, who horse and carted???”, we can now say “who the hell Egg Tarted???” I will be anyway.
Kerrin, well done mate. I have only had a chat to you a couple of times but you are a great bloke and a top class rider. Thanks for Egg Tart yesterday and next time we catch up mate, you can take me to the local pub, produce your wallet and buy me a beer.
Until next week this has been Tommy from Campbelltown……………….signing off.
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