Kerrin McEvoy’s rides over the weekend have sparked debate, particularly his handling of Joliestar after the race was run 20 lengths below standard early.

Some argue he should have pushed forward, while others believe he was simply following Chris Waller’s instructions.

The All-In panel broke down his tactics with punters weighing in on whether the criticism was fair.

Was McEvoy at fault or just an easy target after punters did their dough?

Watch the debate here

Did Kerrin McEvoy Get It Wrong?

Many believe he failed to take control when the race called for it, while others argue he was riding to instructions and should not be blamed for the result.

With Joliestar, the main point of contention was the remarkably slow tempo. The field went 20 lengths below standard to the 600m mark, leaving punters questioning whether McEvoy should have pushed forward and dictated the pace.

Mick Gannon opened the discussion by acknowledging the criticism McEvoy had received:

"They really piled on poor Kerrin McEvoy. He’s striking at just 8%, so he’s not exactly in career-best form. But he’s still a class jockey. If J-Mac had sat three wide, would anyone have said a word?"

While Lewie Willoughby was forgiving of the ride under the circumstances, he was firm in his stance that McEvoy made a crucial tactical mistake:

"Go and lead. I don’t care if you’re a 4kg apprentice or a veteran like McEvoy—you have to know when you're going that slow. You could have led them by five lengths and still been cruising."

"Joliestar is at her best when there’s genuine speed upfront, allowing her to cruise into the race. That’s how she blew them away last prep. This time, the setup was completely wrong for her."

Dean Watling was happy to put the Joliestar loss down to the poor ride not allowing her to settle in the run:

"It was a panicked ride. He knew he was on the best horse, and he didn’t want to make a mistake… and in doing so, he made a mistake. If he either rolled forward or dropped back, she wins. Instead, she got caught between gears and never settled."

"The concern was when he was three wide, she wasn’t in a rhythm at all—she was throwing her head around. He went forward, then pulled back. When you see good three-wide rides, they flow into a rhythm, and it negates the wide run. If he had gone back, slotted in, and produced a sit-sprint finish, she only needed to make up two lengths."

The discussion has since extended to whether McEvoy was riding to Chris Waller’s instructions and had limited freedom to adjust tactics mid-race.

One of the YouTube comments from Daniel Robinson highlighted this perspective:

"If Waller tells him, ‘We’re first up, look for cover, let the horse finish off, and don’t cook it for their grand finals,’ then what’s McEvoy supposed to do? Probably only J-Mac could get away with pushing to the front and still keep his top rides."

Joliestar

So does McEvoy Deserve the Criticism?

The McEvoy debate ultimately comes down to perspective. While some believe McEvoy should have taken matters into his own hands, others argued that this was never the plan for Joliestar’s first-up run.

Was he too passive on Joliestar, failing to take advantage of a slow tempo?
Was he simply executing stable instructions, and was the result inevitable regardless?
Should he have been more aggressive on United States, where the criticism appears most warranted?

Racing fans remain divided on whether McEvoy’s rides were poor decisions or situations beyond his control.

But one thing is certain—the debate will continue, and punters will be watching closely to see how Joliestar and the other horses fare in their next starts.

All three All-In Hosts agree to stick with Joliestar, Via Sistina and United States next start.

There are loads of tips for today's racing in our Horse Racing Tips market at theGreatTipOff.com.

Mick Gannon

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