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Group Two assignments for Kiwi pair; Myers communicating with family; Probabeel to complete McEvoy's grand slam set;
Group Two assignments for Kiwi pair
Trainer Danny O'Brien is looking forward to watching exciting three-year-old Young Werther, a son of Tavistock, have his final hit-out at Moonee Valley on Saturday ahead of the Gr.1 Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington next week.
The current Derby favourite will contest the Gr.2 Drummond Golf Vase (2040m) and has shown a lot of promise in his two starts to date, winning at Geelong on debut last month before finishing runner-up behind Khoekhoe in the Listed Super Impose Stakes (1800m) at Flemington.
He will wear side winkers on Saturday and jump from barrier four with jockey Damien Oliver aboard.
"He's still only a young horse who has only run twice," O'Brien said. "It might just help him focus a little bit and travel a bit kinder for Damien in the run.
"He is a really talented horse, he is the current Derby favourite and we are hoping he can justify that on Saturday."
O'Brien will also line-up fellow New Zealand-bred Miami Bound in the Gr.2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m) and he is hoping for the heavens to open ahead of the race.
"The big positive for her will be if it does get really wet. She loves soft ground," O'Brien said of the daughter of Reliable Man.
"She is going as well as we can have her. She has had to step into the deep end this spring as a VRC Oaks (Gr.1, 2500m) winner, but the more rain they get the better for her."
Young Werther was purchased out of Cambridge Stud's 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Sale draft by O'Brien for $140,000.
Miami Bound was also a Karaka purchase, with O'Brien going to $120,000 to secure the daughter of VRC Oaks winner Arapaho Miss out of Westbury Stud's 2018 Book 1 draft.
Myers communicating with family
Injured jockey Rosie Myers has shown significant improvement, with husband William Fell reporting she was talking to family and understanding what was happening around her.
Myers was injured in a fall at the Foxton trials on October 6 and was initially flown to Wellington hospital in an induced coma.
The popular Central Districts jockey was moved out of ICU last weekend and then on to Lower Hutt hospital where she had undergone facial surgery on Tuesday. Until Thursday, the 33-year-old had not communicated verbally with family members.
Fell said that while she was "just like Rosie" the fact her face was still swollen and sore she wasn't easy to understand, however, he said she did appear to understand what had happened.
"It's obviously early days but all going well Rosie will go to the Rehab unit soon," he said.
"It's just good to know we are going in the right direction – she is tough."
Probabeel to complete McEvoy's grand slam set
Fresh from capturing Sydney's two biggest races of the spring, jockey Kerrin McEvoy is setting his sights on winning the only leg of the sport's grand slam to elude him.
The Melbourne and Caulfield Cups, Cox Plate and Golden Slipper are considered the jewels in the crown of Australian racing.
Only seven jockeys have won them all and Damien Oliver is the only member of that coveted club still riding.
McEvoy has won three Melbourne Cups, a Golden Slipper on Sepoy and a Caulfield Cup on All Too Hard and he needs a Cox Plate to complete his set.
The hoop has been in superb touch in Sydney, breaking his hoodoo in Randwick's big mile races with an Epsom Handicap victory on Probabeel before a barnstorming win in The Everest aboard popular grey Classique Legend.
He reunites with Probabeel in Saturday's Moonee Valley showpiece, with the Jamie Richards-trained mare out to emulate her sire, Savabeel.
New Zealand's champion sire, Savabeel, won the Cox Plate in 2004.
"It's a quality Group One race and everyone wants it on the list if they can.
"For me, it's the last grand slam one to tick off so it would be a real treat."
McEvoy's chances of adding the Cox Plate to his resume could hinge on Melbourne's weather.
Probabeel's best form is on dry tracks so the jockey is hoping the predicted rain does not eventuate.
Not only is the mare better on firmer footing, she has drawn barrier two, a gate McEvoy fears could be a negative if the track is wet.
"If it comes up a (soft) five or six I think she will handle that. Just fingers crossed we don't get too much rain," McEvoy said.
"You've got to be a tiny bit worried if the rain does come and we've got barrier two. We know what the Valley can be like when there's rain around."
Cox Plate day could be the start of a fruitful Victorian sojourn for McEvoy.
He is booked to ride favourite Tiger Moth in the Melbourne Cup along with Probabeel's stablemate Melody Belle in the Mackinnon Stakes.
