Half Yours luck is in ahead of Cup

The five-year-old gelding is favourite for Tuesday's Lexus Melbourne Cup, in which he will be ridden by Jamie Melham, after coming with barrier eight in the $10 million event.

The son of St Jean won the Caulfield Cup, in which he also drew well, and predictions of rain in the lead up to the Melbourne Cup are also in his favour.

"Things are just falling into place beautifully," Tony McEvoy said.

"You need momentum and we've got the momentum at the moment.

"The horse seems fabulous and what a joy for us now to have the beautiful gate where Jamie can just switch him off and relax and enjoy the race."

It has been a remarkable rise since they bought him for $305,000 out of the late Colin McKenna's dispersal sale on Inglis Digital in November last year.

Half Yours, who was originally trained by Ciaron Maher, finished second in a benchmark 64 at Sandown on March 19 at his first start for the McEvoys but has been rising through the classes ever since.

Victory in a benchmark 64 at Seymour on April 15 was followed by a trip to Queensland via a couple of starts in Sydney and he thrashed his rivals in the Listed Caloundra Cup (2400m) on July 5.

He stopped in at Sydney on the way home, finishing fifth in a benchmark 100 at Rosehill on August 30, before a 3-1/2-length win in the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes (2000m) on September 20.

After catching the eye in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes, he won the Caulfield Cup as $2.50 favourite to give McEvoy a career highlight.

"He's a horse every stable needs," McEvoy said.

"I think I've been perceived as a two-year-old speed trainer, and probably a fillies trainer, and that's mainly because I haven't been able to afford buying the colts.

But having this horse win a staying race, a major, is going to let people say, 'well, they can train to stayer'.

"We've got a lot of speed in our stable, we haven't got many staying horses, but I love training stayers – I've trained to Grand National winner.

"I'm hoping that this will open a few doors and get us a few more either imports or locals.

"This horse is a home-grown horse, which is also very special. Hopefully it'll give us more runners in these big races, year on year."

McEvoy is no stranger to the spring majors, mind you, having prepared Fields Of Omagh to win his first Cox Plate, in 2003, and been a part of many Lindsay Park attempts at the race, including producing Hugs Dancer to run fifth behind Makybe Diva in 2004.

"I was there with Beldale Ball, At Talaq and Jeune, I was in Adelaide running the Adelaide operation in those days," McEvoy said.

"It was magnificent. It just lifted everybody. It's a life changing race, I've had involvement in it and it's been special.

"I've had a few runners in it. I got close up and ran fifth one year, which was very good, but I'd like to go a little bit better this year."