By Kerrin McEvoy
All the talk has been about Nature Strip, but who’s to say this year’s The Everest is not going to throw up a surprise?
I watched the barrier draw on Tuesday night and immediately thought barrier 12 would enhance Nature Strip’s chances. But it’s not over until the fat lady sings.
He’s the shortest priced favourite in the history of the race for a reason, but us rival jockeys can’t be too worried about what James McDonald is doing on the champion. We’ve got to ride our own mounts, too.
There are two horses which I think add serious X-factor to the race this year: the three-year-olds Jacquinot and Giga Kick.
We’ve seen Yes Yes Yes win the race previously as a three-year-old and Jacquinot is going to bring some serious group 1 form to the table, while Giga Kick is unbeaten in four runs so far – so who knows how good he might be?
I still think the horse which is flying under the radar is Masked Crusader. He was super running a narrow second to Nature Strip last year and was very good closing late in the Premiere Stakes last start.
Kerrin McEvoy won three of the first four Everests, on Redzel (2017 and 2018) and Classique Legend (2020).Credit:Getty
The Hawkes Racing boys have this knack of getting their horses primed for a big day, and we’ve seen him produce some outstanding performances on soft tracks at Royal Randwick. With a decent tempo, he can be flying home again.
I can’t describe the feeling of winning The Everest. It’s just pure elation and an emotion I’ve never felt before.
It’s very much a different year for me, having won the race previously on Redzel (twice) and Classique Legend. It was such a shame Bon Ho had to find a replacement for the big grey in this year’s race when he had an injury setback, but I’m very thankful of picking up a replacement in a mare who has been flying the last few months.
This time I’m riding an outsider in Shades Of Rose, but I think there’s plenty to like about her.
Sheraco Stakes winner Shades Of Rose, under James McDonald here, will run in the Bon Ho slot in The Everest.Credit:Getty
I’ve seen a bit of her in the past and had a chance to take her for a spin in a trial at Rosehill last week. She seems very straightforward, she’s fast and can sit close and can handle a bit of juice in the ground.
Surprisingly, this is her first race at Royal Randwick so who’s to say she won’t enjoy it. You only have to look at her record of seven wins from nine races and realise she’s a serious horse. But I’m not naive enough to realise she’s up against some quality animals so she’s going to have to bring her personal best to be in the finish.
But her trainer Bjorn Baker is happy with her, and that’s all I can ask.
I will do my preparations early on Saturday and you’ll probably see me out there walking the track to get a feel for where the better ground might be. This rain in Sydney has played absolute havoc with our tracks, but everyone has been working hard behind the scenes to ensure they race the best they possibly can.
We had the rail out eight metres last week and outside that the first couple of lanes were blown to pieces. No doubt the fresh ground is going to help and as jockeys we’ll be keeping a keen eye on how the track will be playing early in the day.
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