The Everest: Barrier draw, full field for $15m race
The barrier draw for The Everest has been released, and it’s good news for last year’s winner in the $15m blockbuster race.
The barriers have been drawn for Saturday’s The Everest (1200m) at Randwick, with last year’s winner Classique Legend — the pre-draw favourite at $4 — coming up with gate five in the race with $15 million worth of prize money up for grabs.
The Les Bridge-trained grey, first-up since finishing down the track at Sha Tin in December, will be ridden by Kerrin McEvoy who is shooting for his fourth victory in The Everest, punters.com.au reports.
Nature Strip, contesting his third Everest, will have to overcome a wide gate after drawing barrier 10. Despite drawing out, the Waller speedster remained at $4.50 with TAB.
Third-favourite Masked Crusader ($7) also drew out in barrier nine, while Eduardo ($8) will step from gate seven.
Gytrash, to be ridden by Jason Collett, has shortened from $9 into $8 after coming up with the inside alley.
The last two horses into The Everest field, Trekking and Embracer, drew perfectly in gates four and three respectively.
Embracer is set to jump the outsider of the field, coming off a 1.26L third to Masked Crusader in the G2 Premiere Stakes (1200m).
Wild Ruler ($26 out to $34) and ex-Singapore star The Inferno ($17 out to $21) both drifted with TAB after drawing the two outside gates.
The main firmer was the TAB’s horse, Lost And Running, who was trimmed from $21 into $17 after drawing barrier two.
Below are the horses’ numbers, barriers, weights, trainers and jockeys.
No. – Horse – Trainer – Jockey – Barrier – Weight
1. NATURE STRIP (barrier 10, 58.8kg) — Chris Waller, James McDonald
2. CLASSIQUE LEGEND (barrier 5, 58.5kg) — Les Bridge, Kerrin McEvoy
3. EDUARDO (barrier 7, 58.5kg) — Joseph Pride, Nash Rawiller
4. GYTRASH (barrier 1, 58.5kg) — Gordon Richards and Damien Moyle, Jason Collett
5. TREKKING (barrier 4, 58.8kg) — James Cummings, Josh Parr
6. MASKED CRUSADER (barrier 9, 58.8kg) — Michael, Wayne and John Hawkes, Tommy Berry
7. WILD RULER (barrier 11, 58.5kg) — Peter and Paul Snowden, Tim Clark
8. THE INFERNO (barrier 12, 58.5kg) — Cliff Brown, Regan Bayliss
9. EMBRACER (barrier 3, 58.5kg) — Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, Jean Van Overmeire
10. LOST AND RUNNING (barrier 2, 58.5kg) — John O’Shea, Hugh Bowman
11. LIBERTINI (barrier 8, 56.5kg) — Anthony Cummings, Sam Clipperton
12. HOME AFFAIRS (barrier 6, 53kg) — Chris Waller, Glen Boss
Reserve horses
Chat
Kementari
Signore fox
Standout
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