Half time to remember McKenna’s influence

The son of St Jean is just one member of a big family that McKenna and his wife Janice bred off their farm at Woolsthorpe, near Warrnambool, before Colin’s death in October 2024.

That, sadly, meant he was not around to see Half Yours become the 13th horse to complete the Caulfield Cup/Melbourne Cup double, which was overseen by trainers Tony and Calvin McEvoy, who bought him for $305,000 at the dispersal sale following McKenna’s death.

This Saturday at Flemington, Half Yours kicks off his Melbourne Cup defence in the $750,000 Makybe Diva Stakes, a race one of Half Yours’ forebears – and a horse who was partly responsible for making McKenna’s colours so recognisable – impacted a couple of times.

Former popular gelding Moudre, who was trained by Ciaron Maher, the man who initially prepared Half Yours, is a half-brother to Half Yours’ dam La Gazelle, was a two-time placegetter in the Makybe Diva Stakes.

That son of Blevic beat home all bar Southern Speed and Manighar in 2012 and again filled the minor placegetter’s spot behind Foreteller and Puissance De Lune in 2013, which was the first run at Group 1 level.

Moudre and La Gazelle are both from the Raami mare Tolkaami and La Gazelle shares a connection to the mare after who Saturday’s race is named, being a daughter of Desert King, the sire of Makybe Diva.

Half Yours’ beginning is not lost on Tony McEvoy, who did not train many horses for McKenna, but had a connection with him through his time at Lindsay Park, where McKenna raced horses, and has long-respected him as a breeder.

“I went down to Col’s farm down near Warrnambool and he took me for a drive around, very proud of all the stuff he had there,” McEvoy said.

“He knew all the horses in the paddocks, him and Janice, and he had a purpose why he bred them.

“He bred tough horses and they were allowed to be horses – they weren't prepped up, or in and out (of the stable).

“The horses were all very well cared-for, but they were just horses in the paddock, like they were cattle, and there's obviously nothing wrong with that.”

That upbringing was a consideration for the McEvoys when Half Yours became available on Inglis Digital.

Tony is convinced his early life helped him do what they asked of the gelding last year.

Half Yours graduated from defeat in a 1400m benchmark 64 at Sandown to Melbourne Cup glory in a 10-run campaign that stretched out over almost eight months.

“Knowing how Col bred them, I knew he would have had a really good start, I knew he'd be tough and, of course, we liked the little bit he'd done on the track as well,” McEvoy said.

“Last year he was up all year, basically. Now, not many horses can do that, and I think that early growing up on that on that farm at Warrnambool would have played a big part in that.”

As excited as McEvoy is about Half Yours’ Melbourne Cup defence, expectations are not particularly high this weekend against the likes of glamour four-year-old Sheza Alibi, Cox Plate favourite Sir Delius and an army of Chris Waller runners.

“A mile is too sharp for him, probably in any class, but especially in this class I’d say, but we just want him to be running the race out,” he said.

“Then he’ll go to 2000 metres in the Turnbull – he ran a slashing race in the Turnbull last year – and then the Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup.

“I think the horse has been going really well and I'm excited to be aiming him for the Cup again.”

It wouldn’t be the first time McEvoy has sprung a Makybe Diva Stakes surprise if Half Yours, a $41 chance, does win this Saturday, with McEvoy having produced Hugs Dancer to upset the likes of Elvstroem as a $26 chance in 2004.