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By Ray Hickson

Champion jockey Kerrin McEvoy has already won two Sydney Cups and he’s confident the UK visitor Cleveland has what it takes to hand him a third at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

Jockey Kerrin McEvoy (Pic: Bradley Photos).

The import made his Australian debut with an eye-catching fifth in the Tancred Stakes (2400m) two weeks ago and it told McEvoy he was on target and had scope for plenty of improvement with the hitout.

McEvoy won the Group 1 $2m Schweppes Sydney Cup (3200m) for the first time in 2003 on Honor Babe while his latest was on Gallante in 2016, carrying the same colours and Cleveland.

“It was a nice first run and I think he is going to benefit nicely on the back of that,’’ McEvoy said.

“It would have done him the world of good.

“It was good to see him come out here and put a positive run forward two weeks prior to his main target, his first time out at weight-for-age and he really held his own. So it was pleasing to see him do that off the plane.”

The five-year-old was $4 favourite with TAB on Wednesday and while he drew 17 in the Sydney Cup that’s not a huge concern to McEvoy who knows he’s on a strong stayer.

Cleveland has only raced nine times for two wins and the latest of those was over 3749m at Chester back in May last year.

“He’s only lightly raced but he’s run to a good level and it looks as though he goes to a new level when he gets out to two miles,’’ McEvoy said.

“So he should be able to put forward a good run with 51kg on his back.”

McEvoy said there’s no fear surrounding the track conditions at Randwick, and if they were to mirror Day 1 of The Star Championships it may be in his favour with that light weight.

“He’s had one go on heavy ground at The Curragh and was a winner,’’ he said.

“When it’s heavy conserving every bit of energy you can is important. It’s going to be a slog fest if the track comes up heavy again, so you need to just get him in a good rhythm and with 51kg on his back that’s what we will be banking on.”

Among his other Randwick rides, McEvoy is hoping Lazzago can bounce back in the Group 2 $1m Tresemme Percy Sykes Stakes (1200m) after being knocked out of the Golden Slipper.

The Chris Waller-trained filly was racing outside Learning To Fly when that filly struck the rail and took her out of contention in the backwash.

Cleveland runs fifth in the Tancred Stakes

She’s since trialled to McEvoy’s satisfaction so he has every reason to think she can perform as she did in winning the Sweet Embrace at Randwick back in February.

“She’s come out of it nicely, luckily she stayed sound in the incident in the Slipper,’’ he said.

“She was down on the inside in her trial and I just let her cruise up the running so that was enough.

“She goes there a little on the fresh side after not taking part in the Slipper so it wouldn’t surprise to see her run well.”

All the fields, form and replays for Day 2 of The Star Championships at Randwick