Westport out to extend winning sequence

Co-trainer Calvin McEvoy expects Westport to be competitive in the Atlantic Jewel Stakes.

After piecing together three straight wins in South Australia late in her juvenile season, three-year-old filly Westport is back in Melbourne to face a test of her spring credentials in the Listed Atlantic Jewel Stakes.

Westport made her debut in Melbourne in January when she was unplaced in the Blue Diamond Preview for fillies at Caulfield before given a spell.

She returned to racing in South Australia, stringing wins together at Balaklava and twice in Adelaide during winter, highlighted by the Listed Oaklands Plate (1400m) on July 20 at her most recent starts to start.

Trained by Tony McEvoy and his son Calvin, who this week have formed a partnership, Westport runs for the first time in seven weeks in Saturday’s Atlantic Jewel (1200m) at The Valley against a field highlighted by Magic Millions Classic winner Exhilarates.

“She is a really good filly,” Calvin McEvoy said.

“She got it all a bit wrong as a two-year-old and we let her just grow up a bit.”

He said Westport had been able to win well in her past three races late last season but still had not put it all together in those victories.

“That’s why we just kept her in Adelaide, just trying to iron out those little things in her races but she is over in Melbourne now and is going along really well,” he said.

“If she handles The Valley I think she will be really competitive in that race.”

Exhilarates showed she had returned as a three-year-old in good style when winning the Group Three Quezette Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield first-up last month and she has been installed the early $2.30 favourite for the Atlantic Jewel.

Last-start Valley winner Sassy Salitage will be striving to make it three wins from as many starts and is on the second line of betting at $4.20, while Westport was at $9 on Wednesday.