Arabian Summer delivered an electrifying performance in the $125,000 GC1000 3YO Plate (1000m) at the Gold Coast on Friday, showcasing her class and reaffirming her credentials as a top threat for the Magic Millions Sunlight slot race.
Trained by Tony and Calvin McEvoy, the filly stormed to a commanding three-length victory under jockey Harry Coffey, stopping the clock at 56.42 seconds—just shy of the track record set by Mitanni at 55.67 in 2004.
Breaking cleanly from barrier two, the $2.05 BlondeBet favourite, Arabian Summer, settled just behind the early speed, waiting for an opening as the field approached the home turn.
Coffey displayed patience and precision, finding a gap at the 250-metre mark. The filly surged through and bolted clear of her rivals, leaving Cosmic Fire and Petticoat to round out the placings.
Gold Coast 1000 3YO Plate Replay- Arabian Summer
Trainer Tony McEvoy was thrilled to see Arabian Summer back to her best, especially after an earlier setback.
“That was very exciting,” McEvoy said.
“Lovely to see her back.
We went to Adelaide and had a mishap at the barriers, which was very frustrating.
So to have her back now in that form a couple of weeks out from her grand final was lovely.”
McEvoy praised Coffey’s ride and the filly’s professionalism, saying,
“Harry got her into a brilliant spot. He just had to wait for a run to appear.
Once she got through that gap, she was fabulous.
He gets paid the big money for a reason, and he’s good at it. He’s got a lot of confidence in this filly, and they’re a good team.”
Jockey Harry Coffey echoed McEvoy’s sentiments, describing the filly as a dream ride.
“Good barriers help good horses,” Coffey said.
“She’s just gotten into a little bit of a habit recently of not being the most patient in the gates, but today we had her in a really nice mode, and she broke nicely.
The horses inside and outside of me made the speed, and that allowed me to drop in instantly, switch her off, and get her in a nice rhythm.”
Coffey explained his decision-making as the race unfolded.
“I was going to stick hard inside, but I noticed they weren’t really rolling off, so I had a look.
A nice gap presented, and I thought, ‘Oh, this will make me look even better,’ so I shot in there,” he said with a smile.
“When they travel like she does and are better than their opposition, they make your job very easy.”
Arabian Summer now turns her focus to the $1 million Sunlight 3YO Classic, representing the Wheaton and RMA Bloodstock slot as a $3.50 second favourite with top online bookmakers.
McEvoy is excited about the opportunity, saying,
“I really am. Sunlight was one of our all-time greats, and for Anthony to get on board early and grab hold of this filly shows he’s got very good judgment.
Wouldn’t it be a lovely result if we could win the race named after her? Quite a fairy tale, isn’t it?”
With her calm demeanor and explosive ability, Arabian Summer has become a star of the McEvoy stable.
“She’s got her feistiness about her, but she handled herself beautifully today,” McEvoy said.
“She loves it up here on the coast, and Toby Edmonds and his team have done a fantastic job looking after her.”
Cosmic Fire produced a bold run from a wide draw to claim second, with Petticoat flashing home late to secure third.
However, Arabian Summer’s brilliance left no doubt about her supremacy, as she scorched the turf with a performance that had the crowd in awe.
Arabian Summer’s rising star continues to shine as she heads towards her grand final, poised to add another chapter to the legacy of the McEvoy stable on Queensland’s grandest stage.
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