McEvoy happy with Papineau choice
Kerrin McEvoy seems confident he has made the right choice in partnering Papineau in his bid for back-to-back Gold Cups at Royal Ascot at York tomorrow.
The man from Streaky Bay, Australia, has inherited all the Godolphin rides after Frankie Dettori was suspended and he could have chosen to partner Razkalla or Fight Your Corner, whom he rode to victory in the Henry II Stakes recently.
When asked why he had made the decision, McEvoy replied: “Papineau is the class horse in the race.
“I won on Fight Your Corner at Sandown but I’m hopeful that if Papineau can find his best form, he’d be a better ride, but obviously we’ll not find out until tomorrow.”
Papineau took the Sandown contest last season before going on to defeat one of tomorrow’s rivals Westerner by a length and a half in the Gold Cup.
Unfortunately, the five-year-old was kept off the track with injury for 11 months after that race, returning to take fifth in the Yorkshire Cup. He also skipped a subsequent outing in the Coronation Cup.
McEvoy added: “He missed a run at Epsom but has worked well since. He’s obviously going in with a light preparation, but we’re hopeful of a good run.
“If he regains the form he showed last year he’s got to have a great chance again.”
