You wouldn’t know that jockey Kerrin McEvoy and trainer John O’Shea had parted company after the pair combined to win an early Rosehill double today in Godolphin’s royal blue colours when Abduction won the Listed $100,000 Barcardi Reginald Allen Quality (1400m).
Abduction wraps up a winning double for the Godolphin stable when she won the Reginald Allen Quality. Photo by Steve Hart.
McEvoy announced early in the week that he would be relinquishing his position as the number one rider for the mighty Godolphin operation in Australia but honoured his Saturday commitments which included three year old colt Sweynesse who took out the first race on the program, the Group 3 $200,000 Gloaming Stakes (1800m).
“It’s good to get a couple of winners and keep myself in the frame for rides later on. Like I said it’s been an amicable split and it’s nice to be getting winners for John and the Godolphin team,” McEvoy said.
Abduction ($9) was sent out the equal outsider of the seven horse field coming off a second in a Kembla Grange Class 2 on a heavy track but McEvoy said back on top of the ground really helped the Street Cry filly.
“She won nicely for me at Warwick Farm there a while ago and then she met that heavy track after a little let up last time and today John was happy with her coming here with the team being able to get some work into her and the drier track.”
“I was always going to ride her quietly from the gate, I drew the outside. She came back and rested nice, got a nice split when we turned for home and she picked them up with a nice turn of foot similar to what she showed me at Warwick Farm when I won on her.”
“She’s going forward and the will be a nice race for her somewhere down in Melbourne.”
Once McEvoy eased Abuction into the clear at the 300m, she stretched out nicely to gather in the leaders to beat Candelara ($7) by a long neck with Muscovado ($9) holding on to run third.
The favourite Slightly Sweet ($3.30) settled near the tail of the small field but the slow tempo of the race didn’t suit and she was only able to beat one runner home to finish in sixth position.
