Dalasan chasing Group 1 win before break

The four-year old is likely to be spelled after the 2000m challenge and aimed at the $1.5m WFA Australian Cup over the same distance at Flemington in March.

A decision on his future won’t be confirmed until trainer co-trainers Leon Macdonald and Andrew Gluyas meet with the owners after the Mackinnon, but Macdonald said he would probably vote in favour of a spell.

“The Mackinnon is probably the easiest Group 1 he has contested this season,” Macdonald said.

“Having said that, Arcadia Queen and Melody Queen will be hard to beat, they are good mares.”

Dalasan has won seven of his 20 starts for more than $2m in prizemoney. He had a career worst result at his latest start when 11th in the Caulfield Cup on October 17.

However, there were justified excuses with Dalasan caught very wide for the 2400m journey.

“He has been very good since,” Macdonald said.

“He is always good, a lovely horse and never ever a problem.

He is not the greatest track worker, but he always works consistently.”

MCEVOY AT EASE WITH OAKS CALL

The McEvoy stable has no regrets about not nominating exciting filly Victoria Quay for the VRC Oaks at Flemington on Thursday.

Victoria Quay was impressive when overhauling Personal in the Wakeful Stakes over 2000m at Flemington at just her fourth start. Five days later, Personal claimed the prestigious Oaks, over 2500m.

Co-trainer Calvin McEvoy said many months had been dedicated to having the three-year-old relax, settle and work into her races and that could have been undone in a 2500m high pressure contest coming off a short back up.

“It is easy to say now she beat Personal and would have won the Oaks,” McEvoy said.

“She may well have, but it probably would have been the wrong thing to do. We are very comfortable with the decision not to nominate her.”

Victoria Quay is being spelled and will be aimed at the SA Oaks at Morphettville during the autumn carnival.

McEvoy said Victoria Quay had been a little “backward” when nominations closed for the VRC Oaks and the intention had been to give her a run in a maiden at Morphettville in late August, before sending her to the paddock.

However, an encouraging fourth prompted the decision to tackle a Balaklava maiden, which she won comfortably, and the Hill Smith Stakes, in which she took plenty of ground off highly regarded colt Ain’tnodeeldun when second.

“After her debut run, we sent her to the farm, not for a spell, but just to tick over for a few weeks, and she blossomed in that time,” McEvoy said.

Talented gelding Hey Doc could not be in better condition for the clash with Nature Strip and Bivouac in the Darley Sprint Classic over 1200m at Flemington today, according to McEvoy.

He said the speedster had done extremely well since winning the Group 1 Manikato Stakes at Moonee Valley last month and could not be faulted in any way.

“This is a stronger race, but I think he is up to it,” McEvoy said.

“This is the day I have most been looking forward to over the carnival, we have got some strong winning chances.

“With a little luck, which is what you need at this level because it is very difficult to win races, we get the breaks and get a couple of winners.”

Among the McEvoy hopes is Winning Partner, coming off back-to-back wins in the Balaklava and Murray Bridge Cups, in a Benchmark 90 race over 1600m.

Deep Speed, a winner of his two starts over 1200m at Morphettville and Moonee Valley, will step up to 1400m.

The three-year-old was an odds on favourite for the Maribyrnong Plate at Flemington last year, only to be scratched at the barrier.