In its short history, The Everest has always been a captivating contest. When The Everest first launched, it was set to shake up the industry completely. Being a race that you don’t have to qualify for with your horse’s ratings—rather, be offered a slot by one of the 12 holders—one could theoretically pick a horse from the paddock and train it like Rocky Balboa if you really wanted to! With the richest purse in turf racing history and the power to handpick your runner, each year we see the best sprinters of the season go head-to-head for their slice of the pie. With some key contenders retiring this year, the $20 million sprint is looking to be an open race.
Early this season, we saw super sprinter Imperatriz retire, followed by In Secret this week. Asfoora looks unlikely to return to Australia for The Everest, with the G1 King Charles III Stakes winner a potential candidate for the Breeders’ Cup in November in North America. So who do we look to fill those highly sought-after slots?
We could have seen two left-field Everest contenders at yesterday’s Rosehill Trials, with Waller’s Joliestar and Bjorn Baker’s Caballus dominating their Group Horse Trials. Both trainers respectively mentioned the race as a possible target. With Caballus being a colt, it’s fair to say that all of the spring Group 1 sprints will be on the cards, but he could be an exciting shake-up to the Everest field.
A big question is: Will we see the return of two former Everest victors: 2023 hero Think About It or 2022 triumphant Giga Kick? Giga Kick has been out of sight since an injury-forced layoff last spring, whereas Think About It made a comeback in the autumn but didn’t show his best form.
There are doubts about whether the star of the winter, Stefi Magnetica, can hold her own against the elite. With connections confirming she spelled following her G1 Stradbroke Handicap win, with aims on an Everest or Golden Eagle target, the bookies certainly don’t favor her. Instead, they are turning their attention to last year’s runner-up, I Wish I Win, who was also spelled immediately following his brilliant win in the G1 Kingsford Smith. I Wish I Win is closely followed in the Everest markets by the Ciaron Maher-trained Bella Nipotina, who secured her third Group 1 victory in the Tattersall’s Tiara in June.
Each year we see more and more owners and trainers specifically target this race and train up their horses like a prizefighter trains for their dream UFC belt. There is no doubt that The Everest and the theatrics it encompasses are next-gen. So my question is: Are races like The Everest the future of the racing industry?
Bella King.
