Weight on mind of McEvoy ahead of Melb Cup

The race is like no other but that won’t mean Kerrin McEvoy will be acting differently in the lead-up to the Melbourne Cup.

The jockey has a near-full book of rides including $11 chance Almandin in Tuesday’s race.

“The pressure’s on all day, I’ve got eight rides so it’s saving your energy for when you need it,” McEvoy told AAP on Monday.

“It’s all about having the same prep before the big day.”

That means a quiet afternoon on Monday including a massage and having a peek at the form guide.

His biggest concern remains at the scales.

For the first time in a month, McEvoy is riding below 54kg and needs to be at 52kg for the 3200m race.

But he’s confident the sauna sessions will be worth it.

The Robert Hickmott-trained, Lloyd Williams-owned Almandin, has flown under the radar since his last outing on October 2 when he won the Group Three Bart Cummings.

“He hasn’t been spoken about because he hasn’t run for a few weeks,” McEvoy said.

“But he’s been in great form. His last two wins have been very dominant.”

“He drops nicely in weight and he just has a good profile for the race I think.”

Punters are beginning to agree, crunching his odds on Monday from $16.

McEvoy, 36, won the Melbourne Cup in 2000 aboard the New Zealand-bred Brew.