Reigning The Everest winning jockey Glen Boss believes that this year’s The Everest (1200m) is a race between two.
It is a wide open edition of The Everest, with Classique Legend ($4.20) narrowly holding favouritism from Nature Strip ($4.40) thanks to the latter’s faltering build up, including two losses at short odds, and throwing jockey James McDonald off his shoulders in a barrier trial.
Everest favourite Nature Strip bounded in the air and dumped jockey James McDonald in a key barrier trial at Randwick on Monday morning.
Both horse and jockey emerged unscathed, however Nature Strip has been ordered to trial again before he goes back to the races. #AfterTheLast pic.twitter.com/Y32wRVxPBa
— Racing.com (@Racing) September 21, 2020
While speaking to The Daily Telegraph, Boss said that he isn’t too concerned about the wide barrier 10 for Bivouac.
“I have so much faith in this colt, I know how good he is and I need to ride him accordingly – it’s not that hard,’’ Boss said.
“For these big races, I don’t do a lot of form as I understand the horses around me.
“With Bivouac, I will go out there to put him into a position where he is comfortable. When the gates open I will make up my mind what will happen.’’
Boss believes that the horse has had a perfect preparation for The Everest, hitting the $15 million race second up, where he performs at his peak.
“The Newmarket was Bivouac’s peak performance and he was second-up,’’ Boss said. “No horse in Australia could have beaten him in the Newmarket and if you look at this horse’s profile, he is dynamic second-up. Horses run to patter and James has taken note of that.
“I thought his run first-up was very good and he has had a tick-over trial since where I didn’t ask him to do anything, it was a lovely trial. I would not swap this horse for anything else in the race.’’
Bivouac wins the Newmarket 🔥@godolphin | @boss_glen pic.twitter.com/ge8LTOFW9J
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) March 7, 2020
Boss thinks that the main danger to Bivouac is current favourite Classique Legend.
“Classique Legend is going to be in the finish, for certain,’’ Boss said. “I think getting beaten the other day was probably the best thing to happen to him. He was vulnerable three wide pulling and went quick through a part of the race he didn’t need to go quick.
“Libertini went out of control first-up, which she does, but Classique Legend ran a great race and he is going to be hard to beat.
“Classique Legend and Bivouac, I think they are the two, I really do.”
Classique Legend is currently the $4.20 favourite for The Everest, with Bivouac at $18.
