Aussie McEvoy is homeward bound

By Cornelius Lysaght
BBC horseracing correspondent

McEvoy saddled 33 winners from 192 rides in major races for Godolphin

Jockey Kerrin McEvoy, Frankie Dettori's understudy at Godolphin, is returning home to Australia.

The 27-year-old has been elevated to number one by Sheikh Mohammed for his newly-extended interests Down Under.

In May, the ruler of Dubai spent the equivalent of about £200m on the New South Wales-based Woodlands Stud racing and thoroughbred breeding empire.

It means McEvoy will have up to 400 horses to ride, many under the care of Woodlands Stud's trainer Peter Snowden.

For the newly-married jockey, with a first baby on the way with Aussie wife Cathy, the decision was an obvious one, especially as his progress this year has been hit by a quiet time for Godolphin.

However, the departure of the 2000 Melbourne Cup winner (on Brew) leaves a notable gap in British racing.

The bare facts are that since arriving in 2004, McEvoy has ridden 321 winners, a tally highlighted by a raved-about, front-running performance on Godolphin's Rule Of Law to win the St Leger of that first season.

However his contribution has been far greater than the winners of which, incidentally, more than 200 were for 'outside' stables.

Pretty much from the moment of touching down, a modest manner and tactical know-how - as shown at Doncaster early on - endeared him to the locals.

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And, never wrapping himself up in the trappings of one of the greatest jobs in world racing, the beach bum looks and easy smile were regularly to be found in races of all types.

Of course, there were big days at Ascot, York and Goodwood, but he became equally at home around the Baths, Nottinghams and Redcars of this world.

Actually, he always struck me as being red-hot on the industrial north-east coast at Redcar, which must have felt a mighty long way away from the coastal town of Streaky Bay, South Australia where he grew up.

So McEvoy leaves behind happy memories not just for the obvious like Godolphin trainer Saaed bin Suroor ("everyone at Godolphin loves Kerrin") but also of so many others, operating on a much smaller scale.

One said to me: "So many of our jockeys should have learnt from him. He was a true pro who quickly worked out the very different courses over here, and who always thought hard about his races.

"And he treated my smaller owners just as I imagine he treated the Sheikh, courteously and with real charm. He'll be much missed."

Yes, McEvoy became that rarest of commodities in Britain: the Aussie sportsmen liked as much as he was admired.