The Everest 2020 runner-by-runner betting guide

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What The Everest (1200m)
Where Royal Randwick Racecourse – Alison Rd, Randwick NSW 2031
When Saturday, October 17, 2020
Race Start 4:15pm AEDT

The Everest 2020 betting preview

The $15,000,000 TAB Everest at Randwick has attracted 12 of the nation’s best sprinters, including seven Group 1 winners. Now four years olds, the race carries weight-for-age conditions over 1200m. Nature Strip and Classique Legend share favouritism ahead of Gytrash, Liberini and Behemoth.

The Everest Speed Map

It’s hard to see anything trying to take Nature Strip on in front, but Dollar For Dollar – the long shot in the field – will kick up from the inside lane and be right on the speed. Haut Brion Her and Eduardo will push forward also, while Bivouac looks to get the one-one. In behind the lead bunch will be Gytrash, Behemoth and Classique Legend, as will be Libertini if she can get over from the outside barrier. Trekking, Tofane and Santa Ana Lane will race at the back of the field.

1 – Nature Strip (5) 58.5kg (TAB)

Equal favourite Nature Strip has been plain in his first two runs this campaign, being beaten as an odds on favourite both times. Third-up however, he has four wins from five attempts and has two Group 1s to his name when third-up off a break. He has drawn well in gate five to go forward and lead like he generally does and could just blow them away if he is right.

2 – Trekking (4) 58.5kg (Max Whitby)

The dual Group 1 winner Trekking comes into this second-up after an eye-catching second placing to Pippie in the Moir Stakes last start. He won the Goodwood earlier in the year, defeating Gytrash and Behemoth in gritty fashion and placed third in this race last year. Josh Parr has won on the gelding before and rode him in last year’s edition so will be hoping to go one or two better. He’s drawn to get all the favours.

3 – Classique Legend (6) 58.5kg (Bon Ho)

The big grey came right into Everest contention when he was a dominant winner of The Shorts first-up this prep and then was solid when second to Libertini in the Premiere when wide throughout the run. Kerrin McEvoy has won two Everests already and seems bullish about the geldings chances here. Drawn in barrier 6, he’ll get all the favours in the run and will be suited by the quick tempo to climb over the top of them late.

4 – Santa Ana Lane (8) 58.5kg (Coolmore)

It’s been 18months since the five-time Group 1 winner has been in the winner’s stall and he seems to have fallen off a cliff since then. He was unlucky not to win this race last year and was then no match for Nature Strip in the TJ Smith earlier in the year despite running second, so we can’t see him turning the tables there. He wasn’t awful down the straight a fortnight ago and does go better second-up, but he’ll be spotting them a start and isn’t going well enough.

5 – Behemoth (2) 58.5kg (The Star)

The big boy Behemoth has won three on the trot including two Group 1s in Melbourne and a Group 3 over 1200m at Morphettville when fresh, beating Dalasan and Kemalpasa impressively. This is another step up again from a Memsie and a Sir Rupert Clarke, but he has been brilliant in winning those races and the form out of them have been good, with Mr Quickie and Glenfiddich filling the placings in the Memsie Stakes. Drawn barrier 2, Nash Rawiller will settle in the back half of the field and find it difficult to keep in touch with the lead group early. 1200m looks a touch too sharp at this level.

6 – Bivouac (10) 58.5kg (Godolphin)

The Newmarket winner is clearly the pick of the Godolphin sprinters given he will run for his prestigious stable in the world’s richest race on turf, so he has to be in with a big chance. He finished third behind Classique Legend and Eduardo first-up but had some excuses considering he was wide throughout without cover so we expect big improvement here. His win in the Newmarket was brilliant so if he can reproduce that, he’ll be right in the finish.

7 – Gytrash (7) 58.5kg (Inglis)

The Giant Killer now has two wins over Nature Strip to his name including the Lightning Stakes in February and the Concorde at this track in September. They’ve kept him fresh for his toughest assignment to date as his first-up record is superb (6:4-2-0) which brings him right into this. He was a great trial winner between runs and has drawn to get the favours from barrier 7 under Jason Collett. The 1200m is our only concern.

8 – Eduardo (9) 58.5kg (miEverest)

Eduardo replaced Rothfire as the runner for miRunners ‘miEverest’ in this year’s edition, but he does have some improvement to find. He ran super in his only run this prep behind Classique Legend and goes good second up, but we expect him to be right on the speed and crumble late. Drawn barrier 9, Rachel King will take the seven-year-old forward and look to sit behind Nature Strip. King becomes the first female jockey to ride in the race. If there’s any rain, he is a chance.

9 – Dollar For Dollar (1) 58.5kg (Aquis)

A last minute inclusion after Farnan elected to bypass the race, the South Australian looks like he will be making up numbers. Drawn the inside, he is likely to lead and be the one to apply pressure to Nature Strip given his tough on-pace pattern. It’s been 112 weeks since his last win, so we can’t see him breaking the drought in this.

10 – Tofane (11) 56.5kg (Yu Long Investments)

Tofane comes through the same race as Dollar For Dollar and Santa Ana Lane and did have some excuses there. She won the All Aged Stakes during the Autumn and was in a three-way-photo in the Galaxy, so she has to be a big chance here. Tommy Berry takes the ride and will get back from barrier 11, but should be hitting the line hard. There is just some doubt as to whether or not she’s going as well as some of the Sydney gallopers.

11 – Libertini (12) 56.5kg (James Harron Bloodstock)

Libertini was super in the Premiere Stakes in her only run this Spring. She needed to run well to secure a slot, and she did exactly that, beating Classique Legend by 2L and Nature Strip by 4L. She did have all the favours in the run in behind the speed, so to repeat that performance she’ll need to find a spot from the outside barrier early, which she should given her natural gate speed. Regan Bayliss retains the ride and looks to be on one of the leading hopes.

12 – Haut Brion Her (3) 56.5kg (Three Bridges Thoroughbreds)

Haut Brion Her picked up the final slot and looks to be slightly outclassed in this. Her race record is brilliant, having only missed the quinella once in ten starts albeit at her latest run against the mares at 1400m. She goes up in class here and back to 1200m where she has won four from six. From barrier 3, Brenton Avdulla will look to go forward on the mare, but in the high pressure race, we can’t see her figuring.

The Everest betting tips

We are siding with Classique Legend in this year’s TAB Everest. He has drawn ideally and gets a dual Everest-winning hoop to guide him. He should be peaking now third up. Bivouac goes in for second at odds ahead of Libertini, who will need luck from the outside alley. Nature Strip can’t be ignored given his tendency to bounce back third up.

The Everest betting strategy
$40 win: Classique Legend
$20 each way: Bivouac
$20 boxed trifecta: 1-2-3-6-7-11
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