Melbourne Cup winner Half Yours builds on 2026 campaign | Just horse racing

Half Yours is only in the early stages of his campaign, but Calvin Mcevoy has already seen enough to think the gelding can have another productive year in 2026.

The son of St Jean, who rose from the provincial benchmark class 64 in mid-April to the Melbourne Cup in early November, has already been at work for a fortnight.

The five-year-old had almost two months off after an initial 10-month and eight-month campaign with McEvoy and his co-trainer, father Tony, and the younger member of the training team said he had enjoyed it.

“He came back in on December 23, so he’s only in the very early stages of preparation, but he’s got a light gallop and he’s looking great,” McEvoy said.

“We are very happy with him. He has had 7.5 weeks off and he looks a different horse.

“It put a nice cover on it and softened it up, and there’s plenty of work to do with it.”

Originally trained by Ciaron Maher, Half Yours joined the McEvoys at the end of 2024 and made his stable debut in a 1400m benchmark 64 at Sandown on March 19 last year, finishing third.

His first win for the stable came on his next start, in a benchmark 64 at Seymour, before two starts in Sydney and a cameo in Queensland Winter Carnival, which produced a 4-1/2 length romp in the Listed Caloundra Cup.

Half Yours continued to work all winter and proved an unbeatable handicapper in the spring, winning the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes (2000m) on his way to Group 1 victories in the Caulfield Cup (2400m) and the Melbourne Cup (3200m).

McEvoy said Half Yours is likely to resume in the $1.5 million Group 1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on April 18 before returning to Queensland, with the road to this year’s Melbourne Cup likely to include a start in the Cox Plate at Flemington.

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