First stakes test for Dollar For Dollar

Tony McEvoy will step Dollar For Dollar up to black-type racing in the Sandown Stakes.

A string of wins this spring has Dollar For Dollar in the right form to step up to stakes company for the first time at Sandown.

The Tony McEvoy-trained five-year-old will be chasing his fourth-straight win of the campaign in Saturday’s Group Three Sandown Stakes (1500m)

After an eight-week let-up, Dollar For Dollar put together back-to-back wins on the Morphettville Parks track in Adelaide last month before heading to Victoria for a race at Flemington on the undercard of last week’s Melbourne Cup day.

Dollar For Dollar dominated the 1400m benchmark-90 race to beat Land Of Plenty by 1-1/2 lengths and the gelding shares equal favouritism at $3.80 with last-start Sale Cup winner Moss ‘N’ Dale for Saturday’s race.

“He’s right at the peak of his game which you need to be at this time of the year,” McEvoy said.

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“I thought he ran a personal best performance last start. It’s only 11 days between races but he went to Sandown on Tuesday and had a little look around and had a nice, easy piece of work and really enjoyed it.

“He’s very honest and he’ll be there when the whips are cracking.”

Dollar For Dollar’s half-brother Sertorius, who is now retired, won the Group Two Zipping Classic (2400m) at the corresponding meeting in 2013 when it was run at Caulfield.

McEvoy tried Dollar For Dollar up to 2000m earlier this year but the trainer has been happy to keep him to shorter distances in his recent races with good results.

“He’s really good at this range so I’m happy to stay there while he’s winning,” he said.

Jamie Kah is unbeaten on Dollar For Dollar from four races and she again has the ride in the Sandown Stakes.