Half Yours builds into 2026 campaign

The son of St Jean, who rose from provincial benchmark 64 class in mid-April to Lexus Melbourne Cup glory in early November, has been in work for a fortnight.

The five-year-old had almost two months off after a 10-start, eight-month initial campaign with McEvoy and his co-trainer, father Tony, and the younger member of the training team said he had relished it.

"The 23rd of December he came back in, so he's just in the very early stages of the preparation, but he's having a light canter and he looks terrific," McEvoy said.

"We're very pleased with him. He had seven and a half weeks off and he looks a different horse.

"He's put a lovely cover on and softened up and there's plenty of work with."

Originally trained by Ciaron Maher, Half Yours joined the McEvoys late in 2024 and made his stable debut in a 1400m benchmark 64 at Sandown on March 19 last year, in which he finished third.

His first win for the stable came at his next start, in a benchmark 64 at Seymour, before two starts in Sydney and a Queensland Winter Carnival cameo, which realised a 4-1/2-length romp in the Listed Caloundra Cup.

Half Yours remained in work throughout winter and proved an unbeatable handicapper during spring, winning the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes (200m) enroute to Group 1 wins in the Caulfield Cup (2400m) and the Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m).

McEvoy said Half Yours is likely to resume in the $1.5 million Group 1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on April 18 before returning to Queensland, with the path to this year's Lexus Melbourne Cup likely to include a start in the W.S. Cox Plate (2040m), to be held at Flemington the year.