Dubai: Godolphin’s Hartnell chases a third Group 1 victory when he confronts a strong field in the $750,000 Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington.
Arguably the best horse in Australia behind the wonder mare Winx, who also runs on Saturday as she bids for a 20th career win, Hartnell will be ridden by former retained Godolphin jockey Kerrin McEvoy for the first time.
“It’s pretty exciting to get the call up for such a high-quality horse as Hartnell,” McEvoy told the stable’s website.
“I rode him for the first time in a jump out at Flemington last month and even though we weren’t out to do anything spectacular, he gave me a really good feel, the feel of a top horse.”
Hartnell made a winning seasonal debut in the Group 2 PB Lawrence Stakes at Caulfield last month in the hands of Craig Williams
“He certainly showed he’d come back in the same form that he showed last spring,” McEvoy said.
“It was impossible to fault that win and he can only have been improved by it.”
Interestingly, Hartnell has been handicapped to carry 57.5kg in this year’s Group 1 Melbourne Cup and is the 58kg top weight for the Caulfield Cup.
McEvoy, who ended his successful association with Godolphin in 2014, won the 2016 Melbourne Cup aboard Almandin.
Hartnell is currently trained by James Cummings who was took charge as Godolphin’s head trainer in May.
Assessing Hartnell’s prospects he said: “Not only were we very impressed by his return in the Lawrence, but we’ve been very pleased with him in between runs.
“He looked like he absorbed that first-up run even better than his preliminary training. It’s a really good sign.
“The team in Melbourne said he strode into his gallop on Tuesday really stylishly and is full of confidence going into this race, which he’ll need to be.”
While admitting that Hartnell faces a tough test on Saturday, Cummings was happy that the race will be run at Flemington, the scene of Hartnell’s last Group 1 victory in the 2016 Turnbull Stakes.
“This race is that little bit stronger than what he faced first-up and Hartnell might be a little vulnerable from that perspective,” the trainer said.
“But he’s certainly giving us all the indications that he’s ready to fire.
“We’re very excited about his prospects on the weekend and getting him into his preferred environment where he gets out on a big track and can use his big galloping action.”
