While Saturday’s Doomben 10,000 was being run, the 2021 winner of the race Eduardo was enjoying his holiday in the sunshine state instead.
The ageless sprinter hasn’t raced since finishing second in the T J Smith Stakes to Nature Strip last month and his trainer Joe Pride is satisfied with his decision not to run his stable star in the Group 1 in Brisbane this weekend.
“He’s good,” Pride said of Eduardo.
“He’s in Queensland spelling, I think he’s nearly six weeks into a ten-week spell. Had that option to take him to the 10,000 again, as it turns out, watching the race yesterday, I’m glad we weren’t there. Not that I don’t think we couldn’t have won, more just the horrendous conditions on the day and it was a real slog.
“I’ve got to say, it’s giving him his best chance in The Everest this year, missing the 10,000.”
Eduardo secured his place in this year’s running of The Everest this week, with Yulong securing him for their slot.
The dual Group 1 winner joins Saturday’s Doomben 10,000 hero Mazu, defending champion Nature Strip and the 2021 William Reid Stakes victor Masked Crusader as confirmed slot holders for the $15 million sprint event.
It will be Eduardo’s third attempt at The Everest, after finishing 11th in it in 2020 and third last year.
While the son of Host went into last year’s running of the race second up, this time he’ll have an extra start leading into it.
“He’ll go to the Concorde (Stakes) first up, two weeks later into The Shorts and then a month into The Everest,” Pride said.
Eduardo is at $9 in The Everest this spring.
– racing.com
