The Everest, it’s here! 12 of the best sprinters in the land are assembled to fight it out over 1200m for the eye-watering $14.85 million on offer.
It looks as though the field will have to contend with Heavy track conditions, with substantial rainfall hitting Sydney throughout the week.
Will last year’s winner Classique Legend go back-to-back, or will one of the other exhilarating sprinters take home the chocolates?
Find out below as we preview each and every runner in the 2021 The Everest!
1. Nature Strip (10) – $3.70
Jockey – James McDonald
Trainer – Chris Waller
Outstanding first up performance winning the Concorde Stakes, before being run down by ongoing rival Eduardo last outing in The Shorts. Barrier 10 may be a blessing in disguise, as he’s showed the ability to settle behind the speed, as he’s grown older. The Heavy conditions won’t bother him, and at his best, he’ll likely be winning this.
2. Classique Legend (5) – $5.50
Jockey – Kerrin McEvoy
Trainer – Les Bridge
Last year’s winner, absolutely braining them in a stunning display before heading off to Hong Kong, where he had some interruptions. Hasn’t raced since December, but has had three very impressive trials and looks to be at his best. If he puts in an effort equal to last year, everyone else may be running for second place.
Not A Single Doubt 5yo CLASSIQUE LEGEND wins the $15m The Everest. @KPMcEvoy @BonHo93524033 @inglis_sales @TyreelStud @ArrowfieldStud pic.twitter.com/5ILUNeMS9v
— Pedigree Update (@pedigreeupdate) October 17, 2020
3. Eduardo (7) – $6.50
Jockey – Nash Rawiller
Trainer – Joe Pride
Can’t knock this bloke, beat Nature Strip first up and has had a trial since to keep ticking over. Will be cherry ripe for this and is an outstanding wet tracker. Must go in all exotics and is a genuine winning chance.
4. Gytrash (1) – $7.50
Jockey – Jason Collett
Trainer – G Richards & D Moyle
Ran into traffic first up in The Shorts behind Eduardo and Nature Strip, loves Soft and Heavy conditions, and seems to have come back near his best this preparation. Wouldn’t talk you out of backing him, and at his best he’ll be right in the finish.
5. Trekking (4) – $41
Jockey – Joshua Parr
Trainer – James Cummings
Godolphin opted to give their slot to Trekking after sending Paulele to the Coolmore, perhaps a bit of a boring option. Trekking is a solid B Grader, and not quite up to this.
6. Masked Crusader (9) – $10
Jockey – Tommy Berry
Trainer – M, W, & J Hawkes
The spectacular, sexy get back run on horse in the field. Oozes x-factor, but his racing pattern makes him a risky play against the top liners. Love him, but happy to be against here.
Masked Crusader from last, gets the gap and gets up to win the Group 2 Premiere Stakes!
Bring on the #TABEverest!@TommyBerry21 @HawkesRacing @aus_turf_club pic.twitter.com/PeCkmiEUca
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) October 2, 2021
7. Wild Ruler (11) – $51
Jockey – Tim Clark
Trainer – P & P Snowden
Won the Moir Stakes last outing but not sure he’s quite up to the best sprinters in the land, price tells the tale.
8. The Inferno (12) – $21
Jockey – Regan Bayliss
Trainer – Cliff Brown
Super impressive few outings in Australia since his switch from Singapore, and definitely isn’t out of place here. Would have given him an outside chance on a Good deck, but he’s hard to side with on the Heavy.
The Inferno comes storming home in the Group 2 McEwen Stakes! pic.twitter.com/ru8rGCKGFG
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) September 4, 2021
9. Embracer (3) – $81
Jockey – J V Overmeire
Trainer – G Waterhouse & A Bott
Good luck to the connections, but this horse has none.
10. Lost And Running (2) – $26
Jockey – Hugh Bowman
Trainer – John O’Shea
Will use the gate and be up on the speed making its own luck, but would need to improve lengths to even be close to these.
11. Libertini (8) – $41
Jockey – Sam Clipperton
Trainer – A Cummings
Good first up but unsure on the Heavy surface. Hasn’t been at her best for a while. Happy to oppose.
12. Home Affairs (6) – $11
Jockey – Glen Boss
Trainer – Chris Waller
The three-year-old on the up, can Glen Boss recreate his heroics on Yes Yes Yes with this smart Coolmore galloper? Unsure on his ability on the Heavy ground, will have his work cut out.
Final Say
It’s a cracking contest, with any of the top liners able to take this out depending on how they perform on the day. Nature Strip looks tough to knock, Eduardo will be right in the finish, and Gytrash is a massive chance.
However, we’re siding with last year’s winner, Classique Legend, who has looked outstanding in its trials and will take a power of beating if it turns in a performance like last year.
Best The Everest Tip – Classique Legend – Win ($5.50)
Don’t stop here, there is plenty of feature racing happening around the country this weekend! If you want to check out our Runner-By-Runner analysis of The Kosciuszko, click here! If you want a preview of the 2400m Caulfield Cup, click here.
If you need more news, information and predictions, head over to our The Kosciuszko page for all your punting needs!
*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of Sportsbet.
