The combination of trainer Mike Moroney and jockey Kerrin McEvoy are no strangers to stakes success and they will be chasing more of it in Saturday's Cockram Stakes.

Moroney secured the services of McEvoy to ride favourite Octavia in the Group Three 1200m race for mares.

The Sydney-based McEvoy is Darley's No.1 jockey and will be in Melbourne to ride their team which includes Safeguard, Montsegur and Launay.

That trio will contest Group races on the Caulfield card.

McEvoy and Moroney's biggest win together came with Brew in the 2000 Melbourne Cup but the trainer says their strike rate has always been good.

McEvoy won the Listed Kevin Hayes Stakes during the autumn at his only previous ride on Octavia and Moroney is rapt to have secured him for Saturday.

"We were just lucky that with his job with Darley he was going to be down here riding and certainly when we can, we'll be using him," Moroney said.

Moroney considers Octavia one of the leading chances in Saturday's race but is also wary of the class of some of her rivals.

"She's a filly that, the further she gets into her preparation the better she goes," Moroney said.

"She's not your normal sprinter, we've got to keep the work up to her.

"If I had a little question mark over her it would be the three weeks between runs, but I've tried to keep the work up to her as much as we can.

"She's got a good record at Caulfield. We know it's a class rise and there are some nice mares that have some pretty handy form fresh-up, so it's going to be a pretty tough race for her."

Octavia was the $3.20 favourite with TAB fixed odds on Friday, ahead of last year's winner Lady Melksham at $4.40.