Golden Rose winner Jacquinot could secure a slot for The Everest as early as Monday after announcing himself Australia’s best three-year-old with a scintillating victory at Rosehill on Saturday.
Two slotholders were in immediate contact with trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent jnr after Jacquinot swept to victory from back in the field in the style of the only three-year-old Everest winner to date: Yes Yes Yes, who is also a son of Rubick.
Damian Lane gives Jacquinot a pat as he returns the Golden Rose winner on Saturday.Credit:Getty
Price, who watched the Golden Rose from Melbourne, said it opened an option that wasn’t on the table before Saturday.
“He was going to the Caulfield Guineas, that was the plan, but The Everest is certainly a challenge we are very interested in now, as a group 1 winner,” Price said.
“They are two massive challenges but we have to make the decision quickly. The plan was the Caulfield Guineas back home in two weeks and that was always a tight schedule and if we do that we need to get him home.
“But the three weeks in The Everest is appealing with the drop back to 1200m. It’s a massive challenge to take on the best sprinters in the land but he showed he might be up to it.
Golden Rose winner Jacquinot has echoes of 2019 Everest winner Yes Yes Yes as a three-year-old son of Rubick.Credit:Getty Images
“We can do either, I would lean to an Everest, but it is a decision for the owners to make. Whatever he runs in next he will be very competitive.”
Coolmore Stud is the frontrunner to put the colt into The Everest with Jacquinot’s managing owner Lindsay Maxsted the Australian chairman of the global giant.
Fellow three-year-old Best Of Bordeaux, who was bought by Coolmore after finishing runner-up in the Golden Slipper, had been the frontrunner for their slot but was scratched from Saturday’s Heritage Stakes after he scoped with mucus in his airways.
Coolmore’s Tom Magnier was checking on Best Of Bordeaux’s condition with trainer Kacy Fogden on Sunday as he weighed up his Everest options.
Overpass is set to be confirmed for The Everest this week.Credit:Getty
There will be another Everest runner confirmed this week with James Kennedy set to announce Overpass in the slot he ironically has leased from another of Jacquinot’s owners, Greg Ingham, for the past two years.
Ciaron Maher and David Eustace are also fielding offers from a couple of slotholders for Coolangatta, who led al the way in the Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley on Friday.
The Everest preparations of Mazu, Lost And Running and Masked Crusader will be finalised in the Premiere Stakes at Randwick on Saturday.
Defending Everest champion and $2 favourite Nature Strip will head straight to the $15 million sprint at Randwick on October 15 after his win in The Shorts last week, as will Eduardo and Memsie Stakes winner Snapdancer.
Godolphin will not make a decision on who will represent them in The Everest until next week with Paulele, who ran over his legs first-up in the Moir and finished midfield, and Golden Rose runner-up In Secret the leading contenders.
Meanwhile, the two remaining slotholders in The Kosciuszko are attempting to drive tough deals with contenders including Heritage Stakes runner-up Opal Ridge, Anethole and Meg.
