FEATURE PREVIEWS: THE EVEREST

Track: Randwick | Distance: 1200m | Rail Position: +3m | Current Track Condition: Good 4 | Predicted Track Condition: Good 4 | Prizemoney: $20,000,000

Some rain forecast for Thursday but clear otherwise, so the track should race in the Good 4 range yet again.

A remarkable innovation, with $20M prizemoney and enormous intrigue and anticipation. Always a great race with Redzel (twice), Yes Yes Yes, Classique Legend, Nature Strip & Giga Kick the previous winners.

• If we combine analysis of the TJ Smith G1 1200m at Randwick with the Everest, from the last 11 years (18 races), 12 have won 3rd up and 5 have won 4th up. Only 1 horse has won 2nd up. 1st/2nd up horses only 1 winner from 74 runners.
• Not enough data to make bold statements regarding historical profiling of The Everest in particular. The race has seen a range of winners in age, prep, days since last start, weight, and barriers. One notable point is that fillies and mares have struggled to date, none running a place so far. 5 winners have been 3rd up and 1 winner 4th up.

Not much speed here. Only an average tempo expected, with Overpass getting an easy lead.

Cylinder maps nicely right on his back, with Alcohol Free and Think About It pushing hand from their good gates.

In Secret, Mazu, Hawaii Five Oh and Private Eye will all be coming across from wider gates wanting to slot in without getting caught wide or too far back.

Shinzo, Buenos Noches, Espiona & I Wish I Win out the back.

1. I Wish I Win – We backed him heavily to win the TJ Smith Stakes in April. Golden Eagle winner the prep before. Would have been top selection, but barrier 1 is a real negative the way this race maps and shapes up. Hard to back him at the short price now.

2. Private Eye – Was super impressive winning The Shorts first up after racing 3 wide no cover throughout. Ran 2nd in this race last year and going just as well now. Nash the best rider in Sydney at present. Strong chance here.

3. Think About It – Has won 10 races from 11 starts, including two Group 1s. Won the Premiere first up over 1200m. Comes here second up off a 14 day break. Betting around him.

4. Mazu – Ran 3rd beaten 1.1L in this race last year. Unfortunately had a setback just before the Premiere Stakes so had to be scratched. Hence comes into this second up now. Prefer others.

5. Overpass – Led and run down late beaten a nose in the Shorts first up. Won the Quokka and 2nd to Giga Kick in the Doomben 10,000 before that. Gets an easy uncontested lead here and that will count for plenty. Second up here is the negative.

6. Buenos Noches – Impressed winning the Show County first up then flew home for 3rd in The Shorts beaten 0.8L but running the quickest closing sectionals of the race. Comes into this 3rd up which is a good profile.

7. Hawaii Five Oh – Hit the line hard for 2nd beaten a nose in The Premiere. 3rd up here to peak. Can surprise.

12. Cylinder – 3-time G2 winner, who ran 2nd in the Golden Slipper. Won the Vain and Run To The Rose this prep before 3rd in the Golden Rose after racing wide no cover. Blinkers first time. 2 of the 6 Everest winners have been 3yos. 4th up here. Profiles ideally and is the one to beat.

12 – Cylinder
2 – Private Eye
1 – I Wish I Win
7 – Hawaii Five Oh
6 – Buenos Noches

Very interesting race to profile.
For horses first or second up, only 1 winner in 18 G1 equivalent 1200m races at Randwick from 74 runners. For Mares, only Black Caviar has won.
That only leaves Cylinder, Hawaii Five Oh and Buenos Noches.
Private Eye ran 2nd in this race last year 2nd up, and was impressive first up.
I Wish I Win rates highly but has a bad gate, Think About It has won 10 from 11, and Overpass gets a very soft lead.
7 winning chances, but Cylinder profiles very nicely with 3yos having a great record in The Everest, and Private Eye ran 2nd last year so rates very highly.

BACK 12 – Cylinder 1.5w

BACK 2 – Private Eye 1.0w

BACK 1 – I Wish I Win 0.5w

BACK 7 – Hawaii Five Oh 0.5w

BACK 6 – Buenos Noches 0.5w

2020 Empire Rose Stakes: Shout The Bar ($32.60)

2020 Melbourne Cup:Twilight Payment ($28.26)

2022 Blue Diamond Stakes: Daumier ($23)

2022 William Reid Stakes: September Run ($19.50)

2021 Randwick Guineas: Lion’s Roar ($18.95)

2021 Autumn Stakes: Poland ($18)

2021 Coolmore Classic: Krone ($15)

Billed as the world’s richest turf race, The Everest is currently worth $15 million in prizemoney and has exploded in popularity with racegoers since it was first introduced by Racing NSW in 2017, when it offered $10 million. In a new concept to Australian racing which mirrored the Pegasus World Cup in America, 12 slot holders were invited to pay a $600,000 annual entry fee to compete in The Everest, with each slotholder choosing a horse to represent them in the 1200m weight-for-age sprint contest. The Everest, which carries a first prize of $6.75 million, is run at Royal Randwick in late-October and is the feature race of the Sydney Spring Carnival. For The Everest tips from our team of leading experts, head to the Betfair Hub.

FAST FACTS

Yes Yes Yes was the first (and so far only) colt to win The Everest when he stormed home under Glen Boss in 2019. The son of Rubick, who cost $200,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, holds the race record with a time of 1.07.32.

Two-time winner Redzel, who claimed the inaugural edition in 2017 and defended his title under Kerrin McEvoy 12 months later, retired with career winnings of $16,444,000. That puts him third in the list of all-time Australasian prizemoney earners behind the Chris Waller-trained pair Winx and Nature Strip, who won The Everest in 2021.

Redzel was owned by the successful Triple Crown Syndications and trained by the father-son team of Peter and Paul Snowden. The same combination race Mazu, who has been signed up to run in Arrowfield Stud’s slot in the 2022 and 2023 editions of The Everest.

After an early run of bigger-priced winners of The Everest, race favourites Classique Legend and Nature Strip took the title in 2020 and 2021 respectively.

The Everest trophy weighs 27kg and features 7,777 black diamonds.

With Sydney traditionally receiving significant rainfall during spring, track conditions can play an important role in determining the winner of The Everest with Redzel revelling in the heavy going in both 2017 and 2018. Betfair’s team of tipsters closely study the form of the 12 runners and monitor the track preparation and weather forecast when they bring you their Everest best bets for each edition of the world’s richest turf race. With wagering turnover on The Everest now second only to the Melbourne Cup, it pays to visit the Betfair Hub for The Everest betting tips and previews ahead of the big race.