I Wish I Win will be second horse confirmed for the $20 million The Everest at Royal Randwick

A deal to get I Wish I Win into The Everest has been done.

I Wish I Win wins the Kingsford Smith Cup. Picture: Grant Peters - Trackside Photography.

I Wish I Win will be the second sprinter to secure a slot in the $20 million The TAB Everest.

Racenet understands the paperwork has been finalised to get I Wish I Win into The Everest, and an announcement from Entain was imminent.

Owner Mark Chittick, from Waikato Stud, earlier told Racenet he expected to soon confirm a similar deal to last year when Inglis agreed to lease their slot to New Zealand’s Trackside Media for the world’s richest turf race.

Trackside Media is owned by the New Zealand TAB, in partnership with Entain, and after obtaining the Inglis slot in 2023 they selected I Wish I Win who ran a close second to Think About It.

“We are working on the same situation as last year,’’ Chittick said.

“Inglis and Entain have agreed to terms and it is with Racing NSW to sign off. We have had three or four other offers which have been taken into consideration.

“But I would like to be loyal and hopefully we can get the deal done with the same circumstances as last year.’’

The Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman-trained I Wish I Win has only had three starts since The Everest last year, finishing third to stablemate Chain Of Lightning in the TJ Smith Stakes, second to Bella Nipotina in the Doomben 10,000 before gaining revenge over that mare in the Kingsford Smith Cup.

I Wish I Win (second from left) runs second to Think About It (left) in last year’s The Everest.

I Wish I Win is now being spelled with Moody already concentrating on a spring campaign to have the star sprinter at his peak for The Everest at Royal Randwick on October 19.

Moody said recently I Wish I Win is likely to have two lead-up runs in Melbourne, including the Group 1 Manikato Stakes.

“The pleasing thing is about a month ago it was announced the Manikato Stakes will be run about three weeks before The Everest,’’ Moody said.

It's his day today! 🥇

I WISH I WIN turns the tables on BELLA NIPOTINA to score his second G1 win in the Kingsford Smith Cup! 💨pic.twitter.com/V2j0MFPlpr

— World Horse Racing (@WHR) June 1, 2024

“Last year, we ran in the 1400m race (Memsie Stakes) six weeks before The Everest as there wasn’t an ideal (lead-up).

“So, we might try to give him two runs in Melbourne before The Everest.’’

I Wish I Win is the early $4.50 TAB Fixed Odds favourite for The Everest with Chittick adding a final decision on who rides the sprinter in the world’s richest turf race is still to be determined.

* Bustling for The Everest – I want what they’re on!

Luke Nolen has been I Wish I Win’s regular rider for most of the sprinter’s career including The Everest last year and also in the Kingsford Smith Cup last start.

But James McDonald did ride I Wish I Win to placings in the TJ Smith Stakes and Doomben 10,000 and would have been on the sprinter in the Kingsford Smith Cup except he was riding in Japan that weekend, winning on Hong Kong champ Romantic Warrior in the Yasuda Kinen.

“We have time to work through everything before announcing our rider,’’ Chittick said.

I Wish I Win will become the second sprinter into The Everest field after Perth three-year-old Bustling ($15) was selected by slot-holders Max Whitby, Neil Werrett and Col Madden.

$20 million will make you THINK ABOUT IT!

Trainer Joseph Pride's 5-year-old So You Think gelding took down The Everest at Royal Randwick (@aus_turf_club) | @SkyRacingWorld. A perfect ride by Sam Clipperton to hold off I Wish I Win! Congrats to the connections! pic.twitter.com/dqMq1IhVOh

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) October 14, 2023

Originally published as I Wish I Win will be second horse confirmed for the $20 million The Everest at Royal Randwick