Ben Hayes is convinced that Evaporate possesses the makings of a Group 1 victor, though with the standout mare Autumn Glow lined up as a rival in the George Ryder Stakes at Rosehill, he admits the team may need to hold off just a bit more.
With six victories from 21 outings, Evaporate came agonizingly close to securing a coveted big-race win recently, narrowly defeated by Tom Kitten in the All-Star Mile (1600m) at Flemington, marking his fourth Group 1 runner-up finish.
Hayes has identified the Doncaster Mile (1600m) as the primary target for the horse in Sydney, noting that an encounter with Autumn Glow in this Saturday’s George Ryder Stakes (1500m) offers a solid benchmark for that objective.
“It’s going to be a hot race, but it will let us know where we’re at and then he will probably head to the Doncaster with 54-1/2 (kilos),” Hayes said.
“He’s won over $3 million and hasn’t won a Group One, so it’s a pretty good effort. Not many do that.
“He’s a Group One horse that just hasn’t done it yet.”
Evaporate ($23) has raced at stakes grade ever since his spring three-year-old campaign and has form around Sydney tracks, triumphing in the Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) at Randwick a year back while finishing behind Autumn Glow in the Golden Eagle (1500m).
Hayes expressed satisfaction with the All-Star Mile showing, where the horse led the pack toward the speedster Pride Of Jenni and battled on strongly until the finish.
“It was super. He towed the field up to Jenni, chased her. Tom Kitten sat off him and just got him late,” he said.
“But I loved the way he kept kicking. He has always been a genuine horse.”
The George Ryder Stakes serves as a classic precursor to the Doncaster Mile, which remains the key aim for the undervalued gelding Encap.
Returning with a respectable sixth placing in the Canterbury Stakes (1300m), beaten by under 1-1/2 lengths to winner Joliestar, Encap has benefited from a smooth preparation this time around, unlike his interrupted spring due to soggy conditions.
“His feet are so much better now too,” Portelli said.
“We’ve had problems with his feet over the years, and he wasn’t coming out of the gates and getting going, I think because they were hurting him.
“He almost won the Doncaster Mile last year at 50-1. We don’t care about the price as long as we get a result, although his pattern makes it very hard to win and he is up against the best horses.”
As a $126 longshot, Encap joins Hawkes Racing’s Nepotism ($201) as one of two George Ryder Stakes entrants at triple-figure prices.
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