The Everest 2019: Ten-out-of-10 performance puts Ten Sovereigns on course to scale Everest heights

July Cup winner Ten Sovereigns could be heading our way for The Everest after the Coolmore-owned sprinter set alight the Newmarket course to give trainer Aidan O’Brien his fifth win in the Group 1 sprint.

Irish speedster Ten Sovereignshas emerged as a possible The Everest contender after his dazzling win in the Group 1 July Cup at Newmarket.

Ten Sovereigns, owned by Coolmore and trained by Aidan O’Brien, led throughout and dominated a top field that included Royal Ascot winner Advertise to take out the prestigious English sprint on Sunday morning.

Coolmore owns a slot in the $14 million The Everest (1200m) at Royal Randwick on October 19 but hasn’t selected a runner yet. Tom Magnier of Coolmore Australia told Big Sports Breakfast Weekend on Sunday that Ten Sovereigns was being considered for its Everest slot.

“We’ve got horses here like Yes Yes Yes with Chris Waller, we are talking with (trainer) Wesley Ward in America but we’ll put Ten Sovereigns into the mix,’’ Magnier said.

Ten Sovereigns has vaulted into Everest betting after his two-and-three-quarters-of-a-length Newmarket win and is rated at $11 behind favourite Santa Ana Lane ($5) for the world’s richest turf race.

O’Brien sent US Navy Flag to ­Sydney for The Everest last year and Magnier said a lot was learned from that experience.

Magnier also said Coolmore was looking to increase its investment in Australian racing after the huge recent prizemoney increases announced in Sydney and Melbourne.

Justify and American Pharaoh, both winners of the US Triple Crown, are in quarantine and will soon be flying Down Under to stand at Coolmore Stud in the Hunter Valley this spring breeding season.

Jockey Blake Shinn drives Eckstein (right) to victory in the Winter Stakes.

RETIREMENT: COOLMORE TO WEIGHT UP NEXT CHALLENGE FOR ECKSTEIN

INTERNATIONAL FLAVOUR TO FINISH SEASON

Eckstein, the Coolmore-owned winner of the Winter Stakes at Rosehill Gardens last Saturday, will be served by Justify this spring.

But Magnier confirmed that Eckstein’s race career would be extended to include the final stakes race of the season, the Listed Winter Challenge (1500m) in two weeks.

The Winter Stakes result was an example of the internationalisation of Australian racing when the famous racing colours of Coolmore’s navy blue (Eckstein) edged out Godolphin’s royal blue (Gaulois) — a finish more familiar in English racing.

FLOWER SLOT DECISION TO BE MADE

Racing NSW’s board of directors has convened a special meeting on Monday to determine who will be awarded Damion Flower’s Everest slot.

Flower forfeited his Everest slot, valued at $600,000, after he was arrested and charged for his alleged role in a drug importation ring.

The slot was put to tender but Racing NSW has indicated it won’t necessarily go to the highest bidder but to the “person or organisation that brings benefit and adds to the promotion and appeal of The Everest’’.

There are five Everest slots still open, including Coolmore, James Harron Bloodstock, Chris Waller Racing and the Australian Turf Club.

Blake Shinn is looking forward to his Hong Kong riding contract despite being in stunning form in Australia.

SHINN STILL HAPPY TO TAKE FLIGHT

Champion jockey Blake Shinn will leave Sydney racing after Saturday’s Royal Randwick meeting.

Shinn, who rode Eckstein to win the Winter Stakes, has accepted a lucrative riding contract in Hong Kong.

He has never been in better form and given the boom times in Sydney racing, I questioned Shinn during a radio interview on whether he was having second thoughts about leaving.

Shinn said he had always wanted to test himself on the world stage.

DEPARTING MURPHY HELD IN HIGH REGARD

Lindsay Murphy, the Australian Turf Club’s general manager of racecourses who is retiring at the end of the month, was presented with a special travel voucher to an international race meeting of his choice at a luncheon in his honour at Saturday’s Rosehill meeting.

It’s an example of the regard Murphy is held in that Sydney’s jockeys and leading trainer Chris Waller donated to the voucher and Racing NSW matched all money raised dollar for dollar.

Murphy’s gift is a choice of going to either the Japan Cup, Hong Kong Cup, Dubai World Cup, Kentucky Derby or Royal Ascot.

TALENTED DUO STLL HAVE SPRING IN STEP

Spend and True Detective might be racing deep in the winter but they showed spring carnival-like qualities fighting out the finish of the opener at Rosehill Gardens.

The Team Hawkes-trained Spend was very impressive winning on debut, particularly as he missed a vital, preparatory barrier trial.

A $1.55 million yearling purchase, Spend lived up to the pre-race hype with a stylish effort highlighted by an impressive burst of acceleration in the straight, while True Detective, who was resuming from a spell, might have lost his unbeaten record but gained more admirers with his close second.

Spend and True Detective were installed at $26 in early TAB Fixed Odds betting for the $1 million Golden Rose this spring behind another Hawkes-trained colt, Exceedance, at $8 favourite.

Meanwhile, co-trainer Michael Hawkes said Doncaster Mile winner Brutal is back in work to prepare for a spring carnival campaign aimed at the $7.5 million Golden Eagle at Rosehill on November 2.

Hawkes said Brutal’s race program for spring had not yet been determined amid speculation the rising four-year-old could be selected as an Everest starter.

Spend (right) and True Detective fight out the opening race.

CUE IN THE RACK FOR J-MAC

Sydney’s new premier jockey James McDonald won’t ride in races again this season.

McDonald has spent the last four weeks on holidays in Europe and America after a stellar season but has announced he will return to ride at the Warwick Farm barrier trials on Friday, July 26.

At this stage, he intends to make a race riding comeback on August 10 for the Missile Stakes meeting at Royal Randwick but may bring that date forward a week depending on his fitness.

McDonald rode 104 city winners during 2018-19 to easily clinch the Sydney premiership and become the first to break the 100-win barrier since the great Darren Beadman rode an all-time record of 164 wins in 2006-07.

ROSEHILL SNAPSHOT WITH RAY THOMAS

RUN OF THE DAY

Spend earned run of the day status when he ran down True Detective in the juvenile opener. Both are quality colts and will take considerable improvement out of this run. Both rising three-year-olds are very promising and can be followed with confidence.

FORGET THEY RAN

Spiritual Pursuit was sent out the hottest favourite on the program but ran the worst race of her career to finish well back behind the flying Agent Pippa. There must be genuine excuses for Spiritual Pursuit as she was a beaten horse on the turn.

THE BLACK BOOK

Cyber Intervention was second-up over 1500m and finished strongly to just miss behind Curragh. The Joe Pride-trained Cyber Intervention has put together to very good runs since resuming and is ready to win when he steps up in distance next start.

RIDE OF THE DAY

Kathy O’Hara earned ride of the day at the previous Rosehill meeting with her front-running effort on Toryjoy and she gets the gong again with her effort on River Bird. On this occasion, O’Hara was in an awkward spot back in the field on the turn but picked her way through the field and guided the filly to another determined win. Tim Clark’s front-running ride on Dylan’s Romance is also worthy of mention.

NSW RACING — THE WEEK AHEAD

Monday: Cessnock, Moruya

Tuesday: Albury, Ballina

Wednesday: Warwick Farm

Thursday: Gosford, Moree

Friday: Dubbo, Taree

Saturday: Royal Randwick, Kembla Grange, Lismore

Sunday: Sapphire Coast, Tamworth