Turnbull to tell all with Half Yours

He wants to see last year's Cups double winner stamp himself a genuine Cox Plate contender this Saturday at Flemington.

Sir Delius, Birdman and Aeliana – the top three in Cox Plate betting – are all likely rivals for Half Yours in the 2000-metre Turnbull, which McEvoy considers the perfect opportunity for him to prove he can compete at that level.

"That's what we're hoping and that's what his work's telling us," McEvoy said.

"The Turnbull is in the fork in the road for him.

"I don't want to run him in a Cox Plate if he can't win a Cox Plate, but if he matches it with them in the Turnbull, he'll go to the Cox Plate."

The other option for Half Yours beyond Saturday is the $6 million Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m), which he won last year and has been allotted 57.5kg this year.

Half Yours has not won since last year's Melbourne Cup, but his only start this campaign was a sixth placing in the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) on September 12, when he was the race's sectional star.

He finished 4.65 lengths off winner Sheza Alibi, but was only three-quarters-of-a-length off Sir Delius, who was the first horse home in the Makybe Diva Stakes that will be running in the Turnbull Stakes.

Half Yours started from the outside barrier in the field of 10 in the Makybe Diva Stakes, which continued a run of wide draws, and McEvoy is particularly keen to see him fare better at the draw this week.

"He hasn't drawn a gate for a long time and we've been forced to go back," he said.

"He can sit three or four lengths closer in a race, if we draw well. He's due to draw a gate.

"He's got to tick the 2000-metre box at this level. He's an elite stayer, but we've kept him nice and sharp with just that one mile race coming into this and I think he'll run really well."