The Everest 2020: Field, tips, odds and analysis of every runner in $15 million Royal Randwick sprint

Sydney’s flagship race is set to rumble down the Royal Randwick straight again and, as usual, the task of pinpointing the winner has never been harder. Our experts Ray Thomas and Ron Dufficy evaluate every runner.

Classique Legend ran well last year to finish a desperately unlucky sixth in The Everest but has come back to racing this season even better and stronger.

The Daily Telegraph’s racing editor Ray Thomas and Sky Thoroughbred Central’s form expert Ron Dufficy debate the chances of each runner in the $15 million The TAB Everest at Royal Randwick.

The Form: Complete NSW Racing thoroughbred form, including video replays and all you need to know about every horse, jockey and trainer. Find a winner here!

LATEST BETTING: TAB FIXED ODDS

YOUR EVEREST SWEEP GENERATOR BELOW

1: NATURE STRIP

Trainer: Chris Waller

Jockey: James McDonald

Slot-holder: TAB

Ron Dufficy: Nature Strip is not the cleanest horse out of the barriers, the first four or five strides are vital to his chances here. Then if he paces himself up front he has an enormous winning chance, no doubt about it. He had that little issue when he was scoped after his last start defeat but they will be on top of that now and I suggest Chris Waller has him ready to go.

Ray Thomas: I know Nature Striphas disappointed in his two runs back this spring but there has been legitimate excuses for both losses. I keep thinking how often Nature Strip has rebounded from an indifferent performance throughout his career and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him do that again on Saturday. He’s the Horse of the Year and was absolutely dynamic winning the TJ Smith Stakes over the Randwick 1200m course in autumn. Write him off at your peril.

2: TREKKING

Trainer: James Cummings

Jockey: Josh Parr

Slot-holder: Max Whitby and Neil Werrett

Dufficy: Trekking is a tough competitor and ran a bottler in this race last year. I thought he did enough in the Moir Stakes first-up running second over an unsuitable distance and I like the draw with him. He will mind his own business early and if they get at each other early, he will have last look at them. He’s not the worst in this race.

Thomas: Trekking is a genuine Group 1 sprinter who does often get the kudos he deserves. He did run third in The Everest last year and defeated Gytrash in The Goodwood earlier this year. Super comeback effort in the Moir, he does have a great second-up record and excels at Randwick. Trekking will settle off speed in what should be a solidly run race and he will be finishing fast.

Classique Legend takes out The Shorts first-up as a warning to his Everest rivals.

3: CLASSIQUE LEGEND

Trainer: Les Bridge

Jockey: Kerrin McEvoy

Slot-holder: Bon Ho

Dufficy: I think Classique Legend has the best draw among the favourites with the make-up of this race. There is speed horses drawn outside him which are going to push him into a beautiful stalking position. He is close to top pick. He was brilliant winning The Shorts first-up then not much went right for him in the Premiere Stakes when he was wide, forced to make an early move and was a sitting shot for Libertini late in fast time. I feel he could be favourite come race time.

Thomas: If Classique Legend does get the sort of run you are anticipating, Ronnie, then he is the one to beat. His effort to win The Shorts first-up was amazing and he endured a tough run before being ambushed by Libertini late. Richly talented sprinter, handles all types of track conditions, he responds under pressure and is blessed with brilliant acceleration. He ticks a lot of boxes in this race including having a faultless preparation for this race.

Popular sprinter Santa Ana Lane might be getting on but he adores the Randwick track.

4: SANTA ANA LANE

Trainer: Anthony and Sam Freedman

Jockey: Sam Clipperton

Slot-holder: Coolmore

Dufficy: I’m inclined to ignore the straight track form when they go so slow early and sprint home. How quickly we forget that Santa Ana Lane ran an unlucky second in this race last year. I know he is an eight-year-old but his track and distance form speaks for itself. He has performed well against an elite group of sprinters during his career and I’m finding it impossible to write him off. He is huge odds for a horse with his ability.

Thomas: I can’t believe it took so long for Santa Ana Lane to be picked up for The Everest. Coolmore eventually made him their selection and if “Santa” wins on Saturday, it would not surprise. He’s a proven big-race performer and did run second in The Everest and TJ Smith Stakes last season. Santa Ana Lane has the two fastest Randwick 1200m times of any horse in training. He does get back in his races early so he needs things to go his way but these high pressure sprints are where he performs best. I think he’s the best outsider.

5: BEHEMOTH

Trainer: David Jolly

Jockey: Nash Rawiller

Slot-holder: The Star

Dufficy: Behemoth is another one suited by the draw. He will settle just off speed with a nice run. He is flying this preparation with a Group 3 win and successive Group 1 wins, plus he has form around Gytrash and Trekking in The Goodwood in May. He is coming back in trip to 1200m but that is off-set by the good barrier and he does have a big-race jockey in Nash Rawiller. No knock on this horse.

Thomas: There are plenty of good judges who have Behemoth finishing top three on Saturday. He is in career-best form with successive Group 1 wins over the Caulfield 1400m in the Memsie Stakes and Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes this spring. Although he is coming back in trip, it’s a formula that has proven effective previously with Vega Magic winning the Memsie Stakes then running an unlucky second in The Everest while Yes Yes Yes bounced off his Golden Rose second placing last year to win The Everest.

Godolphin’s Bivouac wins Melbourne’s premier sprint, the Newmarket Handicap, in March.

6: BIVOUAC

Trainer: James Cummings

Jockey: Glen Boss

Slot-holder: Godolphin

Dufficy: Bivouac would have been close to my top pick with a good draw. He has had a typical Godolphin set-up for this race and we saw back in the autumn how much he lifted second run in when he bolted in with the Newmarket Handicap, beating Gytrash who ran third. He was good when resuming in The Shorts, he’s had a beautiful tick-over trial between runs, Glen Boss rode a perfect race on Yes Yes Yes from an awkward draw last year and this horse is ready to explode. He is definitely among the main chances.

Thomas: Bivouac is flying under the radar. He ranged up to win The Shorts when resuming and his effort to finish a close third was still very good. As you pointed out, Ronnie, his second-up record is very good and includes his outstanding Newmarket Handicap win at Flemington this year. Bivouac has drawn out in gate 10 but if he gets any sort of luck in running, he has the ability to win this race.

7: GYTRASH

Trainer: Gordon Richards

Jockey: Jason Collett

Slot-holder: Inglis

Dufficy: Gytrash has done everything right. Ray. I like the 42-day freshen and a barrier trial since he won the Concorde Stakes. He does go well fresh. I think he will push forward and Eduardo pushes forward which means Gytrash gets into the one-one. He’s the giant-killer from South Australia, all the form around him is outstanding, he never lets anyone down and he can’t do anything but run well.

Thomas: There doesn’t seem to be any chink in Gytrash’s armour. He races at a very high level every start, his standards never drop and they won’t for The Everest. His trainer has meticulously planned Gytrash’s preparation for The Everest and his brilliant sprinter is ready to run the race of his life. Put it this way, I would be surprised if he wasn’t a top-three finisher on Saturday.

8: EDUARDO

Trainer: Joe Pride

Jockey: Rachel King

Slot-holder: miEverest

Dufficy: I think they will press the button early with Eduardo to a certain extent but any horse that is eye-balling Nature Strip will be going too fast. I really loved Eduardo’s trial win last Friday, he’s as sharp as I’ve ever seen him. He’ is flying for Joe Pride, he’s a ripper horse. Classique Legend was a little too good for him in The Shorts but the timing seems right for him. I would prefer a drop of rain as he seems a bit better with the jar out of the track and that’s a possibility with the forecast of some rain on the day. If the track gets to a soft 5, it will change the complexion of this race.

Thomas: Eduardo the most improved sprinter in training. We all thought trainer Joe Pride was aiming too high when he revealed his plans to set Eduardo for The Everest after his Missile Stakes win back in August but here he is with a deserved start in the big race. His second placing in The Shorts proved he can mix it at this level of competition. Even rival trainers were talking about his brilliant Warwick Farm barrier trial win last week. Eduardo has drawn a little wide so his winning chances probably hinge on how much “petrol” he needs to use early in the race.

9: DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR

Trainer: Tony And Calvin McEvoy

Jockey: Tim Clark

Slot-holder: Aquis

Dufficy: I don’t think Dollar For Dollar has the speed to hold the rail and lead, Ray. We know he has been a late inclusion, this race is a bit of an after-thought and he has to be regarded as a longshot. However, his form has been good of late around Behemoth in Melbourne this spring but he hasn’t won in a long time and needs to produce a career-best as an eight-year-old to be competitive.

Thomas: Dollar For Dollar has had an injury-interrupted career but has been placing three times at Group 1 level including his effort to beat all but Behemoth in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes last month. His close second in the Gilgai Stakes last start was another game effort. Talented and tough on his day but questionable if he can rise to the level required to win The Everest.

You can count on Tofane to be motoring home at the business end of the $15 million race.

10: TOFANE

Trainer: Michael Moroney

Jockey: Tommy Berry

Slot-holder: Yulong

Dufficy: Her two runs back should have her in top shape, she had no luck last start. Three of her five wins have been at 1200m and she is a Group 1 weight-for-age winner here in top company earlier in the year. She will be strong late and could surprise.

Thomas: I’ll admit I’ve under-estimated Tofane. She surprised me when edging out Pierata in the All Aged Stakes back in the autumn and her two runs back this spring have both been solid effort. But, her wide draw means she will probably have to go back early and give a start to some of the best sprinters in training. She’s an each-way chance.

11: LIBERTINI

Trainer: Anthony Cummings

Jockey: Regan Bayliss

Slot-holder: James Harron

Dufficy: The outside gate is a disastrous draw for Libertini. She needed a good barrier to do what she does best but now she needs a brilliant ride for where she is. But she did set the tongues wagging with a brilliant win in the Premiere Stakes, running 1m 7.6s after 30 weeks off mind you. You would think there is scope for improvement so if she reproduces that effort with the right run she will be hard to beat. She is one horse in this race who doesn’t want a drop of rain as she excels on a dry track.

Thomas: How impressive was Libertini in the Premiere? She such a talented mare when things go right for her, as she demonstrated last start, but her outside draw is a big leveller. It’s not the end of the world because they should run along early giving the mare the chance to unleash from the back of the field. If she gets a reasonable run, then Libertini has the natural ability and powerful surge to be in the finish.

12: HAUT BRION HER

Trainer: Chris Waller

Jockey: Brenton Avdulla

Slot-holder: Three Bridges

Dufficy: Haut Brion Her kicks across Dollar For Dollar then probably hands up to Nature Strip, slipstreaming off his back. This is the mare’s biggest test to date, obviously, but she has a terrific winning record. The draw has helped her a lot with the run she will get. She will be in the race for a while but when the whips are cracking late I feel she will be vulnerable but I’m not denying she has a great will-to-win.

Thomas: Haut Brion Her has never even contested a Group 1 race — she has won at Group 2 level against mares — so how will she cope with the pressure of The Everest? I agree, Ronnie, the barrier was important for her as she will get the right run now. She’s is a classy mare on her day and won the Sheraco Stakes in fast time when resuming but realistically I can’t have her finishing in the front half of the field.

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The Everest 2020: Dollar For Dollar fills void after Waterhouse runner Farnan is scratched

THE ODDS

TAB EVEREST

Nature Strip has shortened from $5 to $4.20 and has reclaimed the tag of favourite for the big race.

$4.20 Nature Strip $5 after barrier draw

$4.40 Classique Legend $4.50 after barrier draw

$6 Gytrash $5 after barrier draw

$7.50 Libertini $7 after barrier draw

$9.50 Behemoth $11 after barrier draw

$17 Trekking $17 after barrier draw

Bivouac $15 after barrier draw

$21 Tofane $21 after barrier draw

$23 Haut Brion Her $21 after barrier draw

$26 Santa Ana Lane $26 after barrier draw

Eduardo $21 after barrier draw

$61 Dollar For Dollar $51 after barrier draw

$101+ Emergencies

Biggest potential collects on TAB Everest

$10,000 @ $34 on Eduardo to win [collect $340,000] Pre Nominations

$4500 @ $26 on Behemoth to win [collect $117,000] Pre Nominations

$2000 each-way @ $15/$4.50 on Trekking [collect $39,000] Pre Nominations

$350 @ $101 on Libertini to win [collect $35,350] Pre Nominations

$1600 @ $21 on Santa Ana Lane to win [collect $33,600] Pre Nominations

$550 the win / $150 the place @ $51/$13.50 on Gytrash [collect $30,075] Pre Nominations

$6000 @ $5 on Gytrash to win [collect $30,000] Final Field

$1000 each-way @ $21/$6 on Santa Ana Lane [collect $27,000] Pre Nominations

$750 @ $34 on Haut Brion Her to win [collect $25,500] Pre Nominations

$500 @ $51 on Libertini to win [collect $25,500] Pre Nominations

$5000 @ $4.50 on Classique Legend to win [collect $22,500] Final Field

$825 each-way @ $21/$6 on Haut Brion Her [collect $22,275] Pre Nominations

$1000 each-way @ $17/$5 on Tofane [collect $22,000] Pre Nominations

$500 each-way @ $34/$9.25 on Haut Brion Her [collect $21,625] Pre Nominations

$300 the win / $200 the place @ $51/$13.50 on Dollar For Dollar [collect $18,000] Final Field

$1000 @ $17 on Eduardo to win [collect $17,000] Pre Nominations

$1000 each-way @ $13/$4 on Behemoth [collect $17,000] Pre Nominations

$1000 @ $15 on Nature Strip to win [collect $15,000] Pre Nominations

$1000 @ $15 on Behemoth to win [collect $15,000] Pre Nominations ** two separate bets **

$1000 @ $13 on Behemoth to win [collect $13,000] Pre Nominations

BY THE NUMBERS

THE EVEREST

$15 million total prizemoney

First $6.2m (up $150,000)

Second $2.4m (up $260,000)

Third $1.3m (up $60,000)

Fourth $1m (up $100,000)

Fifth $750,000 (up $70,000)

Sixth $500,000 (up $50,000)

Seventh-12th $450,000 (up $50,000)

WORLD’S RICHEST HORSE RACES

1. The Saudi Cup (dirt) $US20m ($A27.4m)

2. The Dubai World Cup (dirt) $US12m ($A16.5m)

3. The Everest (turf) $A15m

4. The Breeders’ Cup Classic (US, dirt) $US7m ($A9.6m)

5. Japanese Derby (turf) Y648m ($A8.5m)

6. Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (turf) 5m euros ($A8.1m)

7. The Dubai Turf $US6m ($A8.4m)

8. Dubai Sheema Classic $US6m ($A8.4m

9. The Melbourne Cup (turf) $A8m

10. The Kentucky Derby (dirt) $US3m ($A4.1m)

Originally published as The Everest 2020: Field, tips, odds and analysis of every runner in $15 million Royal Randwick sprint