The numbers surrounding Saturday’s running of The Everest are staggering.
The winner of the 1,200 metre race will receive $6million for just under 70 seconds of work – that’s around $90,000 per second, or $5,040 per metre.
But for those punting on the world’s richest race on turf, the only numbers that count are those printed on the bills at the pay-out counter, and Daily Mail Australia has assessed just how you can get your hands on the money sloshing around Royal Randwick.
Jockey Kerrin McEvoy celebrates in the winner’s stall after taking out The Everest in 2018, making it back-to-back wins in the world’s richest race on turf. Largely as a result of those wins, Redzel has the extraordinary career prizemoney haul of $15.7 million.
THE FAVOURITE
When you think of trainer Chris Waller and a mare with an outstanding winning record, you think of Winx.
As racing’s former pin-up girl relaxes in retirement, many believe Waller has found a successor to the mighty mare in Arcadia Queen, who will likely start favourite in Saturday’s main event.
Former Perth mare Arcadia Queen is likely to start favourite in Saturday’s running of The Everest. Under the guidance of former Winx trainer Chris Waller, she has only had one run this year but has attracted plenty of support from big-money punters.
The former Perth mare has received a huge amount of backing from big-money punters in the days leading up to the race – enough to supplant Santa Ana Lane as race favourite.
That support has come despite the mare having started only one race this year as she moved across the country to join the powerful Waller stable. That single run was a victory in the Theo Marks when she put in a surging finish to beat a decent but less-than-stellar field.
Trainer Chris Waller knew all about preparing top-line mares for big races after having prepared the mighty Winx throughout her career. Waller (pictured with wife Stephanie) has three runners in The Everest: favourite Arcadia Queen, Nature Strip and Yes Yes Yes.
In a field of crack sprinters, Arcadia Queen looks slightly miscast, as her best performances have been over longer distances; her final Perth run being a barnstorming finish over 1800 metres.
But that could be to her advantage in what will be a frantically run race. From her ideal barrier three, she will likely settle on the fence in the back half of the field while speed demons like Redzel, Sunlight and Nature Strip fight over the lead. Provided she doesn’t let them get too far in front, and she can find a gap into open air at the top of the straight, her stamina edge should see her making up ground rapidly in the closing stages.
Tellingly, top Sydney jockey James McDonald takes the ride. He had the choice between Arcadia Queen and Nature Strip for this race, having ridden both in their lead-up runs, and he opted for the mare.
THE ROUGHIE
Trekking was the last horse to book a place in The Everest field by winning the Schillaci Stakes in Melbourne last weekend.
That victory continued an impressive record that has seen him win four of his past six starts – all at Group level – with the two unplaced runs both being within two lengths of the winner.
Trainer James Cummings – grandson of the legendary Bart Cummings – is in charge of the local arm of global racing operation Godolphin. He has two horses in The Everest: fast-finishing mare Alizee and the consistent gelding Trekking.
An impressively bred horse – the son of Street Cry and grandson of Redoute’s Choice – is one of two runners for the powerful Godolphin stable under trainer James Cummings, along with the fast-finishing Alizee.
In a remarkable coincidence, the Godolphin stablemates have identical career records of nine wins, two seconds and three thirds from 22 starts.
Drawn an ideal barrier 5, Trekking should get a comfortable rails run for most of the trip and with odds of around $30 on offer, seems worth a speculative wager.
TRIFECTA HOPES
In a field this good, and with sprint races regularly throwing up surprising placegetters, the question is which horses you could confidently leave out of trifecta calculations. The answer is not many.
Irish raider Ten Sovereigns appears to have his work cut out, having been well beaten as favourite in his previous start back home and travelling round the globe to get here. Most think Nature Strip’s outside barrier draw has put a line through his hopes, and it would be an extraordinary training performance for In Her Time to win in her first start for almost eight months.
Otherwise a decent case could be made for just about every runner.
For those who fancy one of the short-priced runners – Santa Ana Lane, Arcadia Queen and Pierata – a profitable strategy could be to back it separately with a win bet, then have it to run second in your trifecta while putting two or three roughies to win and throw in most of the field for third.
Redzel powers to the line in his trademark front-running style to take out The Everest in front of the packed grandstands at Royal Randwick.