A dozen of the country’s best sprinters and $10 million in prize money on offer, this Saturday’s The Everest 2017 race is set to be an absolute spring showpiece and our insider tips and the latest odds on the Royal Randwick showdown are detailed below.
Chautauqua is the Races.com.au tip to flash home and win The Everest 2017 at Royal Randwick on Saturday. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
This is the debut of the world’s now richest race run on turf and so far there has been no disappointments to the quality of horses lining-up in the inaugural edition of the Restricted slot-race.
The weight-for-age The Everest (1200m) runs as Randwick Race 8 at 4:15pm (AEDT) on Saturday afternoon and has the potential to become one of the most raced events on the Australian Racing Calendar along with the Melbourne Cup.
It is a tight battle at the top end of The Everest betting at Ladbrokes.com.au with market mover Vega Magic ($5) the new favourite.
Lindsay Park’s last start Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) winner hasn’t raced since September 2, but has purposely been freshened-up for the sprint assignment.
The WA-raced gelding’s 1200m record is outstanding with nine wins and two other minor placings from 12 starts over The Everest distance and even with the awkward barrier draw (10), he’s been well ed to salute in his Randwick debut.
One-time The Everest favourite She Will Reign has eased out to $5.50 despite the freakish ability this filly has shown so far.
As a juvenile she won the Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m) and overcame a few obstacles first-up as a three-year-old in the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m) at The Valley.
She became the first to take out a Group 1 in her three-year-old debut since Tontonan (1974) and ticks plenty of boxes including the barrier draw (2) and weight-for-age kilos (51kg) so could just come out and win.
There’s also the chance six-time Group 1 champion Chautauqua will flash home for the win third-up despite his two unplaced runs this time in and he is also being kept safe in The Everest odds at $5.50 to do so.
Earlier we published a comprehensive 2017 The Everest Form Guide and now we reveal our three best fancies to run the trifecta on Saturday.
1st
#1 Chautauqua ($5.50)
The ‘Grey Flash’, can he do it? This is the race’s champion sprinter and he made history winning three straight TJ Smith Stakes at this track and distance. The latest in the autumn was incredible. He shouldn’t have won from the position that he was in, but he did. This time in he’s had two runs and he’s been unplaced in both, but that blistering turn of foot has still been on show late – just too late. The punters look willing to forgive and he’s one of the best-ed in the markets after drawing barrier five. He’s set to peak third-up and this is the one he’s been set for since it was announced a $5.8 million cheque for first was on offer. He was one of the first to secure a slot and he is electrifying on his day. Will Saturday be his day?
2nd
#10 She Will Reign ($5.50)
Will the filly reign supreme? The weight advantage makes her an absolutely huge chance. WFA she carries just 51kg and she is likely to settle back off the pace despite the gun barrier two draw. Her two Group 1s in the Golden Slipper Stakes and Moir Stakes have been from-behind and that looks the right way to ride her. Her Moir effort on debut as a three-year-old in Melbourne was sensational, don’t worry about that narrow winning margin. She strips fitter second-up, back on her Sydney leg with more room to finish off? She is a huge hope at an easing price.
3rd
#9 English ($11)
A case can be made for nearly every horse in The Everest field to run a place, but we’ve selected English after the Group 1 winning mare’s eye-catching second in the Group 2 Premiere Stakes (1200m) at the track / distance a fortnight ago. She nearly reeled in In Her Time and has upside. Third-up on Saturday, this mare was runner-up to Chautauqua in the TJ Smith Stakes after he came from nowhere to run her down. The barrier (12 of 12) makes it tough and she’s been a bit forgotten, but don’t rule out the Waterhouse factor.
Now is the time to scale The Everest 2017 odds and lock in our insider tips at the best price through Ladbrokes.com.au!
