While Half Yours is only just getting started this time in, Calvin McEvoy is confident the reigning Melbourne Cup winner can again deliver a strong campaign in 2026.
The St Jean gelding, who climbed rapidly from Benchmark 64 grade in April to Cup glory at Flemington in November, has been back in the McEvoy stable for two weeks.
Following a demanding 10-run campaign over eight months with Calvin and Tony McEvoy, the five-year-old enjoyed almost seven-and-a-half weeks in the paddock, a spell that appears to have done him plenty of good.
“The 23rd of December he came back in, so he’s just in the very early stages of the preparation, but he’s having a light canter and he looks terrific,” McEvoy said.
“We’re very pleased with him. He had 7.5 weeks off and he looks a different horse.
“He’s put a lovely cover on and softened up and there’s plenty of work with.”
Formerly trained by Ciaron Maher, Half Yours transferred to the McEvoys late in 2024 and made his stable debut when finishing third in a 1400-metre Benchmark 64 at Sandown on March 19.
He wasted little time shedding his maiden tag for the stable, scoring at Seymour at his next start before heading to Sydney and then Queensland, where he produced a dominant 4½-length victory in the Listed Caloundra Cup during the Winter Carnival.
Maintained through winter, Half Yours went on to dominate the spring handicap ranks, winning the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes (2000m) before capturing the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) and Melbourne Cup (3200m).
According to McEvoy, Half Yours is likely to resume in the $1.5 million Group 1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on April 18, before heading back to Queensland, with a Cox Plate run at Flemington expected to feature in his path towards another Melbourne Cup.
The post Half Yours builds into 2026 campaign first appeared on Just Horse Racing.