He’s won Group 1 races all over the world, but few of Kerrin McEvoy’s elite-level wins have been as sweet as his Turnbull Stakes success aboard Lucia Valentina.

The Sydney-based jockey combined with the Kris Lees-trained mare to snare the $500,000 Group 1 event at Flemington on Saturday.

It came less than two weeks after his resigned from his long-standing arrangement as head rider for Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin operation and the 33-year-old said he was thrilled to get a big win up early in the new phase of his career.

“It was very important, it’s exciting just to get that first one now that I’m out rowing my own canoe,” McEvoy, who has ridden 29 Group 1 winners for Sheikh Mohammed, said.

“It’s really exciting and I’m happy to have got it done early. Winning big races gives you confidence for the Carnival ahead.”

McEvoy celebrated his first win in the set-weights-and-penalties event when he brought Lucia Valentina with a withering finish from the second half of the field to get home by half a length.

It was a performance that promoted her to the head of markets for the Crown Golden Ale Caulfield Cup and McEvoy said he was looking forward to having a shot at adding this year’s Caulfield Cup to the one he won in 2008 aboard the Sheikh Mohammed-owned All The Good.

“She’s an exciting mare to be on heading towards the Caulfield Cup,” he said.

“She ticks all the boxes heading to Caulfield now, other than obviously having a run at the track but she’s a nimble-actioned mare that I couldn’t see having a problem getting around Caulfield.

“I’m really looking forward to a couple of weeks’ time.” 

Racing.com