Australia: The Shorts should clarify picture for The Everest

More than US$56 million in purses will be distributed across a multitude of stakes races during the Sydney Everest carnival beginning Friday night and including the seventh running of The Everest on Oct. 13.

The immediate, stunning success of The Everest already had established the 6-furlong, slot-holder event as the world’s richest race on turf, but this year’s renewal sees a whopping 33 percent purse increase to an eye-watering US$12.9 million.

Friday night’s card contains a key prep for The Everest named The Shorts, which is the eighth of 10 races. The card will be shown live by FanDuel TV and Sky Racing World. The first post at Royal Randwick is at 9:50 p.m. EDT.

The Shorts (G2) is an old race dating to 1867, but it instantly became linked to The Everest when inaugural winner Redzel used it as his final prep in 2017. Classique Legend also did the Shorts-Everest double in 2020, and numerous place-getters have featured in both races.

This year The Shorts seems even more critical, because seven of the 12 available slots for The Everest remain up for grabs. Thus The Shorts at 5 1/2 furlongs has the strong feeling of an audition.

No. 1 Private Eye (8-1) and no. 2 Mazu (12-1) finished second and third respectively in The Everest last year. Mazu already secured a slot for next month’s race.

No. 3 Lost And Running (10-1) was fourth in The Everest in 2021 and third in The Shorts last year.

No. 4 Overpass (9-2) was second in The Shorts and sixth in The Everest last year.

No. 5 In Secret (2-1) is a brilliant sprinting mare, widely expected to be selected by owner Godolphin to fill its slot.

No. 6 Buenos Noches (6-1) is a lightly raced, exciting prospect.

No. 7 Remarque (6-1) finally was gelded and is starting to showcase his latent talent.

No. 8 Ruthless Dame (16-1) split Sunshine In Paris, who is already confirmed for The Everest, and In Secret in a Group 1 race in February.

No. 9 Hawaii Five Oh (10-1) is a large, late-developing, lightly raced 4-year-old.

No. 10 Rocketing By (100-1), no. 11 Athelric (50-1) and no. 12 Casino Lord (200-1) are outclassed.  

7 Stakes is co-feature Friday

The Everest is just one of many innovations by the executives in charge of Sydney racing. The Shorts shares top billing on Friday night’s card with a new race named the 7 Stakes. Sponsored by the numerically named, national television network, the 7 is appropriately race no. 7 and has drawn a terrific mix of top milers headed toward the Epsom Handicap (G1) on Sept. 29. The number of individual Group 1 winners in the field is, yes, seven.

Godolphin’s newly turned 4-year-old no. 8 Pericles (8-1) is 2-for-2 this campaign and was equal favorite Friday in future-book wagering for the Epsom.

No. 1 Think It Over (4-1) and No. 2 Zaaki (5-2) are older, well-established stars, and Chris Waller trains a trio of 5-year-old mares.

No. 9 Fangirl (2-1) spent last season in the shadow of now-retired horse of the year Anamoe. She embraced the limelight when winning the first Group 1 race of the new Australian season the Winx Stakes four weeks ago. That victory offered a pleasing symmetry. It was the 150th Group 1 for Waller, who hit the 100 mark with Winx’s farewell race in 2019.

Sydney’s champion trainer also will saddle no. 11 Hinged (9-1) and no. 10 Going Global (20-1). The latter makes her third Australian start, having been purchased at a Kentucky auction in November for US$2.5 million. Going Global counts the Del Mar Oaks (G1) of 2021 among numerous California stakes wins when trained by Phil D’Amato.

Not only will the Randwick card be shown live on FanDuel TV on Friday night, so will cards from Eagle Farm, Newcastle and Belmont.

A native of Brisbane, Australia, Michael Wrona has called races in six countries. Michael’s vast U.S. experience includes race calling at Los Alamitos, Hollywood Park, Arlington and Santa Anita, calling the 2000 Preakness on a national radio network and the 2016 Breeders’ Cup on the International simulcast network. Michael also performed a race call voiceover for a "Seinfeld" episode called "The Subway." Coverage of the Sydney Everest carnival at Horse Racing Nation is made possible through a sponsorship by Sky Racing World.