Kerrin McEvoy’s rapid assessment of Athanatos’s form lines confirmed a strong prospect in the $500,000 The Coast, with the prediction holding true as the away-team galloper held off all challengers.
Riding the four-year-old gelding for the initial occasion, McEvoy was swayed by his performance of less than two lengths behind in fourth to Transatlantic during the Toorak Handicap (1600m) last spring, deeming it enough to threaten.
“I was pretty confident when I got the booking and looked at his runs,” McEvoy said.
“I gave ‘Stokesy’ (trainer Phillip Stokes) a call yesterday and he backed it up. He said, ‘he’s in good form’. “
“I got confidence out of the fact the last time he went to the mile was in the Toorak, and as we know it’s a competitive handicap, a Group One, and he wasn’t beaten far.”
Saturday’s midfield gate allowed McEvoy to stalk the leaders aboard Athanatos ($11), and the gelding hit top gear straightaway to eclipse Sarrismo ($2.90 fav) by one length at the line.
Grand Omaha ($51) was a close third, half-neck back.
Present at Morphettville for Goodwood duties, Stokes disclosed that the The Coast (1600m) at Gosford on Saturday served as a vital benchmark toward the season’s highlight, the Five Diamonds (1800m) in Sydney.
“Next prep we’re going to aim up for that,” Stokes told Racing And Sports.
“This was a big prizemoney race, and the owners will be wrapped.
“I’m getting a bit of a handle on Sydney now. It’s something we want to explore more and have more of a presence up there, so it’s important to identify horses to send up.
“He might be a horse we now have to look at Brisbane with.”
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