David Vandyke secures Kerrin McEvoy to ride Queensland Oaks prospect Philia in Princess Stakes at Eagle Farm
And Vandyke expressed his surprise to see such a high quality horse as $2.80 TAB favourite Harlem Queen enter the 1600m race for three-year-old fillies.
On Friday morning, Philia was paying $5.50 and the John Sargent-trained Meridiana was $6 in a big field.
'I sent Kerrin a message. He had a look at her last couple of runs and was impressed and he was keen to jump on,' Vandyke said about $83,000 purchase Philia, who has won her last two starts.
'That's worked out well and I'm hoping he can stick with her through the winter carnival.
'Kerrin will be up here to warm up for the winter carnival. It's not a big day of racing in Sydney and if this filly can measure up during the Group races in the carnival, now's the time to give her a spin around and see what he thinks.'
It is one of seven rides on Saturday in Brisbane for Melbourne Cup-winning hoop McEvoy – all for different trainers.
Vandyke said the main goal for Philia was the Group 1 $750,000 Queensland Oaks (2200m) at Eagle Farm on June 7, a race won by her half-sister Duais in 2021.
'I've trained her other half-sister Baccarat Baby, who won the Winx Guineas in 2019 and she was competitive at Group 1 level so it's a very strong family,' he said.
'I love the fact she (Philia) is by All Too Hard, the stallion for Alligator Blood. It was a terrific win last start and if she's improved Saturday on what we've seen, we're certainly looking at a top-three finish.
'The favourite (Harlem Queen) really is the benchmark, probably for the winter carnival because she's raced well against the top-line three-year-olds.
'I wasn't expecting a horse of that calibre in this race so early in the carnival but it'll show us where we sit.
'If we can run top three then we just march on into the winter carnival with an air of confidence that we can perform well.'
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The Nathan Doyle-trained Harlem Queen has only raced nine times for two victories, but three of those runs were in Group 1s in the spring: second in the Flight Stakes (1600m) behind Lady Shenandoah at Randwick, fourth in the Champion Stakes (2000m) at the same track and fourth in the VRC Oaks at Flemington, won by Treasurethe Moment, at Flemington.
Wonder fillies Lady Shenandoah and Treasurethe Moment are both three-time Group 1 champions and unbeaten this season.
Meridiana will start from barrier five, just inside Harlem Queen, in Saturday's Princess Stakes.
'The favourite will be hard to beat but if Meridiana can get a soft run she's got a nice turn of foot and she's on the way up in the fillies' races,' Sargent said.
Meridiana arrived on Thursday at the Gold Coast where she will stay with trainer Glenn Thornton, the father of jockey Damien Thornton, who will ride the filly on Saturday.
Sargent said Meridiana would be targeted towards the $160,000 Listed Gold Coast Bracelet (1800m) on May 10 before a likely tilt at the Queensland Oaks.
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