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McEvoys go prospecting with Moana Spirit

Top juvenile stable keen to test Tagaloa filly in good Geelong guide.

Tony McEvoy and Calvin McEvoy.
Tony McEvoy and Calvin McEvoy. Picture: Getty Images

Calvin McEvoy is acutely aware Saturday's $150,000 Geelong Diamond is a much tougher contest than Moana Spirit's debut, but that is part of the appeal of the assignment.

The Melbourne Cup-winning trainer, who operates in partnership with his father Tony McEvoy, is keen to get a line on the daughter of Tagaloa in the race that has risen from nowhere to become a regular producer of quality horses.

Moana Spirit is one of four horses in the 1100-metre race who have had one start for one win and the younger member of the training team is eager to see how the Yulong-bred-and-owned filly measures up.

"It's the time of the year that a lot of the horses that maybe missed the spring features are up and going now and I think she's got a bright future, so I'm looking forward to seeing her in this race," McEvoy said.

Cherish Me won last year's Geelong Diamond before starting second favourite in the Blue Diamond, while Stay Focused won the first edition badged as the Geelong Diamond before being the first colt home in the Blue Diamond won by Hayasugi.

The McEvoys selected the Geelong Diamond as the second start for Moana Spirit after her two-length win in a three-horse race at Morphettville on December 6, in which $1.26 favourite Inhabit pulled up with an issue.

Moana Spirt impressively won an 800m Flemington jumpout since, which convinced McEvoy she can deal with the class rise.

"She went to Adelaide as a raw filly and won, albeit when the favourite had heart arrythmia, but still won really well and she's taken a lot of improvement from that experience," McEvoy said.

"She had a very nice trial in between and I think she's in with a nice chance."

Top Adelaide jockey Rochelle Milnes rode Moana Spirit to victory on debut, but Luke Currie will go aboard at Geelong, where she is the well-supported second favourite behind the Ciaron Maher-trained Ghana's Akan.


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