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The Shorts: Nash Rawiller is key to Eduardo’s tilt at The Everest

Joe Pride will use Eduardo’s successful autumn campaign as a blueprint for his Everest assault which will definitely include jockey Nash Rawiller.

Nash Rawiller has ridden Eduardo in all five of his wins for Joe Pride, including The Galaxy in March. Picture: Getty Images
Nash Rawiller has ridden Eduardo in all five of his wins for Joe Pride, including The Galaxy in March. Picture: Getty Images

Trainer Joe Pride says it’s easy to identify the key to bringing the best out of Eduardo – jockey Nash Rawiller.

“History tells you how important Nash is for Eduardo,’’ Pride said.

“Nash gets Eduardo travelling at a tempo the horse is very comfortable with, they go well together.

“It’s interesting the horse has been unable to run at the level he has without Nash on him.

“It that just coincidence or were there excuses for the other jockeys who have ridden this horse? I don’t know but I’m not prepared to risk it to find out.’’

Rawiller will be in the saddle for Eduardo’s return to racing in the Group 2 $500,000 The Shorts (1100m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

Since Eduardo joined the Pride stable 16 months ago, he has been successful in five of his nine starts but Rawiller has been the only jockey to win on the horse.

Rawiller has ridden Eduardo to Group 1 successes in The Galaxy and Doomben 10,000, plus a course record-breaking win over Nature Strip in the Challenge Stakes over the Randwick 1000m earlier this year.

Eduardo comes up against old rival Nature Strip and a crack field of sprinters in The Shorts.

Although Eduardo is now an eight-year-old, Pride is adamant the gelding has improvement to come this spring preparation.

“I definitely believe Eduardo can get better,’’ Pride said.

“I think this will be his best preparation. He just looks fantastic in the coat coming off a Queensland (winter) spell.

“Even if he is just at that level he was last autumn then he is right in these races but I think he is better again.’’

Eduardo (left) holds off Nature Strip in the Challenge Stakes in March. Picture: Getty Images
Eduardo (left) holds off Nature Strip in the Challenge Stakes in March. Picture: Getty Images

Pride has given Eduardo three barrier trials to prepare for his comeback in The Shorts as he waited patiently for an Everest slot-holder to select the gelding that is currently the world’s second-highest sprinter behind Nature Strip.

To Pride’s relief, John Messara representing slot-holders Arrowfield Group and The Star made his move last Sunday to select Eduardo for the $15m The TAB Everest (1200m) at Royal Randwick on October 16.

“We were always confident we would get a Everest slot but it’s nice to have it locked away now,’’ Pride said.

“Eduardo’s had an appropriate preparation to be ready for The Shorts. The 1100m suits him and after three barrier trials he is not far off his peak.

“He will run in The Shorts then have a barrier trial and go second-up into The Everest.’’

Pride said Eduardo’s second-up win in The Galaxy when he carried topweight of 57kg was such a dominant effort it convinced the trainer to give the gelding a similar preparation into The Everest.

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Eduardo’s stablemate Private Eye is also having his final lead-up run before his “grand final” when he contests the Group 3 $160,000 Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m).

Private Eye, who won the Show County Quality when resuming last month, is on the quick back-up after finishing only seventh to Chat in the Theo Marks Stakes at Kembla Grange last Saturday.

But Pride felt there was merit in Private Eye’s closing effort that left him only 2¼ lengths behind the winner on the line.

“I thought under the circumstances it was a really good run,’’ Pride said.

“I like the ideal of getting Private Eye back to Randwick and out to 1400m.’’

Pride is using Saturday’s race to finetune Private Eye’s preparation for the Group 1 $1.5 million Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Royal Randwick on October 2.

Private Eye has only 50.5kg and is way down in the order of entry for the Epsom but a Bill Ritchie win provides a ballot and penalty free exemption into the rich Randwick mile in two weeks.

Originally published as The Shorts: Nash Rawiller is key to Eduardo’s tilt at The Everest

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Original URL: https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/sport/superracing/the-shorts-nash-rawiller-is-key-to-eduardos-tilt-at-the-everest/news-story/b58faaee6372b503a2e2211e6b0aa1eb