The Everest meeting will be held at Royal Randwick this Saturday (16th Oct). The course proper was rated a Soft 7 on Thursday and with further shower in Sydney over the next couple of days, Randwick is likely to border on Soft/Heavy condition on raceday.
Art Cadeau is a high class horse and Terry Robinson has set the gelding to tackle The Kosciuszko first-up (Sydney Race 5, 1200m). The 5YO is a good fresh horse having taken out the Country Championship on a two month break earlier this year. He has an almost perfect record on Soft and Heavy tracks with four wins and three 2nds from seven attempts in the condition and he is unbeaten at Randwick winning two from two. Regular rider Tommy Berry will once again be on board and from a good draw (gate 3), Berry will settle in a good spot just behind the pace on the fence and Art Cadeau will be full of running in the last furlong.
The very consistent Big Parade has missed a spot to run in The Everest but he will take out the Sydney Stakes as a consolation (Sydney Race 6, 1200m). The Mark Newnham-trained 5YO has won twice this campaign with a 3rd in the Theo Marks Stakes in between the two wins. Big Parade has great wet track form and an even better record at 1200m with six wins and a placing from nine starts at the trip. Drawn nicely in barrier 5, regular jockey Joshua Parr will go forward and sit outside likely leader Prime Candidate and Big Parade will kick strongly in the straight and be hard to catch.
Finishing third in last year’s The Everest, Gytrash is all set to make amend in this year’s renewal (Sydney Race 7, 1200m). This Adelaide visitor has been a model of consistency as he has only missed a place twice in his 23 start career. The 6YO has a terrific record on Soft and Heavy tracks. Last start in the Shorts, Gytrash was very unlucky not having a clear crack at speedsters Eduardo and Nature Stripe in the run home and with those two both drawing wider out on Saturday, the pace will be right on from the outset. That would allow Jason Collett to trail the speed comfortably on the fence from gate 1. And with his great turn-of-foot, Gytrash will run over the top of this field and take out the $15 million ‘The Everest’.
By Owens Wong, Editor
