York Guides

Kerrin McEvoy could be the rider on everyone's lips at this year's Royal Ascot at York meeting.

The 24-year-old Australian gallops into the big time on the Knavesmire as Godolphin's number one jockey following the six-day suspension that has ruled Frankie Dettori out of the festival.

McEvoy has wasted no time in demonstrating his ability in the saddle following his appointment by Sheikh Mohammed as understudy to the champion in the spring of 2004.

And he is being rewarded with the pick of the Godolphin mounts at Britain's biggest Flat racing celebration.

Dettori took the riding honours at Royal Ascot last year with six winners and judged on the form he has shown so far, McEvoy will not let the side down as the perfect replacement for the popular Italian.

"You don't like to get the rides this way and it's all been thrown over to me now to get the results for the team," he said.

"I'm glad I've got a season under my belt going into Ascot week. It's probably going to be one of the most exciting weeks of my career. Every jockey in Britain likes to be competing there.

"I was happy going in with only the second-string rides and I'm even more excited now. So it will be a big thrill to get a winner or two.

"There is a little bit of pressure - there was going to be anyway riding the second strings.

"I'll be speaking to Frankie about the horses. He has been a great help and I'm sure he'll help me next week with the races. I just hope everything goes smoothly."

McEvoy is already a star in Yorkshire, having shown perfect judgement of pace and top-class tactical sense when making all the running to land his first British Classic on Rule Of Law at Doncaster last September.

That ride in the St Leger was widely-regarded as the best by any jockey in Britain last year, in what was McEvoy's first season with Godolphin.

But that was not the first time he had shone in a Classic for the sheikh's finely-tuned operation.

On his very first ride at Newmarket, in the 1000 Guineas no less, he finished runner-up on Sundrop, and he also brought Rule Of Law with a late flourish in the Derby to claim second place behind North Light.

A few days before the St Leger, McEvoy won a top prize in Germany, the Group One Grosser Preis von Baden, on Warrsan for Clive Brittain as the outside rides began to flow.

McEvoy had set himself a European target of 50 winners in his first campaign, and he reached 46 before his grandfather's death sent him back prematurely to Australia.

He quickly made his mark this year with Blues And Royals' unexpected victory in the UAE Derby at Nad Al Sheba.

He is ice-cool in the saddle, even at the most difficult of times. At Doncaster recently he was thrown on to a concrete path when For Life bolted with him in the parade ring, but he bounced back to win a race later on the card.

It is not surprising, therefore, to discover that McEvoy hails from a racing dynasty in Streaky Bay, near Adelaide.

His father Philip was a successful jockey, as were two uncles and his grandfather on his mother's side.

Tony McEvoy, one of the uncles, is a leading trainer and was responsible for some of the winners that propelled his nephew to the Melbourne championship for the first time in 2003.

After launching his career from the family home in South Australia, young McEvoy moved on to Melbourne in 1998 and his career traversed to another level when, six days after coming out of his apprenticeship, he won the 2000 Melbourne Cup on the New Zealand-trained Brew.

Now he is set to take Royal Ascot at York by storm with a book of rides that could include the likes of Dubawi, Sundrop, Cherry Mix, Papineau and the brilliant Doyen.

"Doyen hasn't been out yet and his opposition will have had the benefit of a run this campaign," said McEvoy.

"Obviously we would have liked to see him in a race beforehand, but that wasn't to be this year. But he's going to be ready for Ascot."

The Royal meeting is a prospect to savour for all racing fans - but even more so for the affable young Australian who has been thrust into the spotlight's glare.