Veight, the Tony & Calvin McEvoy-trained Grunt colt, etched his name into history by becoming the first three-year-old since Pierro (2013) to win the prestigious George Ryder Stakes (1500m).
2024 George Ryder Stakes winner Veight was excellent defeating his older rivals over 1500m at Rosehill Gardens. Photo: Steve Hart.
This victory marked Veight’s first Group 1 triumph, surpassing his second-place finish in the Australian Guineas.
A strategic move by the McEvoy stable to shorten his distance proved successful.
Jockey Damian Lane delivered a masterful ride, positioning Veight comfortably before launching a final push in the straight.
“What a star,” co-trainer Tony McEvoy expressed his joy after the win. He praised Veight’s racing style and Lane’s skilful handling.
The George Ryder result reinforces the strong form showcased in the Australian Guineas, which also saw Chris Waller’s Rosehill Guineas winner, Riff Rocket, compete.
Lane kept Veight strategically positioned in fourth throughout the race, following the leader Cepheus. Joe Pride’s The Everest hero, Think About It, made a strong move in the straight, but Lane and Veight had the final say.
Veight surged past Think About It with 100m remaining, displaying grit to hold off the fast-finishing Lady Laguna, trained by Annabel Neasham, who ran second on the back of her Group 1 Canterbury Stakes victory.
Completing the podium was Waller’s three-time Group 1 winning three-year-old Militarize, who might have preferred the longer distance of the Rosehill Guineas after scratching out of that in favour of the George Ryder.
This victory marks a significant achievement for the McEvoy stable.
Tony & Calvin McEvoy now have four Group 1 wins together, while Tony adds this victory to his personal collection of 15.
Following the race, McEvoy confirmed plans to give Veight a well-deserved break before targeting the lucrative $10 million Golden Eagle race (1500m) in November.
2024 George Ryder Stakes Results
| Finish | No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Bar. | Weight | Penalty | Starting Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 | VEIGHT | Tony & Calvin McEvoy | Damian Lane | 8 | 56kg | $7 | |||
| 2 | 15 | LADY LAGUNA | Annabel Neasham | Tyler Schiller | 0.11L | 12 | 57kg | $8.50 | ||
| 3 | 16 | MILITARIZE (NZ) | Chris Waller | James McDonald | 1.05L | 7 | 56kg | $5 | ||
| 4 | 5 | GOLDEN MILE | James Cummings | Tommy Berry | 1.94L | 5 | 59kg | $51 | ||
| 5 | 1 | THINK ABOUT IT | Joseph Pride | Sam Clipperton | 2.11L | 16 | 59kg | $4.80F | ||
| 6 | 18 | ENCAP | Gary Portelli | Blake Shinn | 2.83L | 2 | 56kg | $9 | ||
| 7 | 3 | PERICLES | James Cummings | Hugh Bowman | 3.52L | 14 | 59kg | $13 | ||
| 8 | 19 | TIZ INVINCIBLE | Ciaron Maher | Zac Lloyd (a) | 4.32L | 6 | 54kg | $41 | ||
| 9 | 12 | AMENABLE | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | Mark Zahra | 4.63L | 4 | 59kg | $11 | ||
| 10 | 8 | BANDERSNATCH | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | Jordan Childs | 5.49L | 11 | 59kg | $151 | ||
| 11 | 4 | KOVALICA (NZ) | Chris Waller | Nash Rawiller | 5.63L | 18 | 59kg | $17 | ||
| 12 | 2 | CEPHEUS (GB) | Matthew Dunn | Adam Hyeronimus | 5.74L | 13 | 59kg | $101 | ||
| 13 | 6 | NAVAJO PEAK | David Payne | Kerrin McEvoy | 6.11L | 10 | 59kg | $101 | ||
| 14 | 11 | NEW ENERGY (IRE) | Ciaron Maher | Jason Collett | 6.25L | 15 | 59kg | $16 | ||
| 15 | 9 | LOCH EAGLE | Kris Lees | Dylan Gibbons (a) | 6.27L | 9 | 59kg | $101 | ||
| 16 | 7 | UNSPOKEN (IRE) | Peter & Paul Snowden | Tom Sherry | 6.41L | 1 | 59kg | $81 | ||
| 17 | 14 | COSMIC VEGA (IRE) | Ciaron Maher | Ms Jamie Kah | 7.23L | 17 | 59kg | $61 | ||
| 18 | 10 | MIGHTY ULYSSES (GB) | Annabel Neasham | Tom Marquand | 9.95L | 3 | 59kg | $61 | ||
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
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