Godolphin might be left with only one option for its still-vacant Everest slot after Paulele picked up an eye injury during his gutsy Schillaci Stakes win in Melbourne on Saturday.
While Kementari is believed to be the preferred option for Godolphin due to his soft-track form, Paulele gave Godolphin boss Vin Cox and trainer James Cummings plenty to think about when he overcame a couple of accidental whacks from Damien Oliver’s whip on Zoustyle to win at Caulfield.
Paulele charges past Zoustyle to take out the Schillaci Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday.Credit:Getty
Paulele, which showed an impressive winning surge in the group 2 race after tracking the speed and accelerating through a gap, had to be treated with an anti-inflammatory to his eye on Sunday.
“It’s one [the anti-immflamatory] that he could race with next week, but he has a nasty eye ulcer,” Cummings said. “You don’t want to take any risk with an eye, and we will monitor him closely.
“We will have another look at him in the morning and hopefully, there is some improvement, but it could influence our decision.
“It was a very good win, very determined, and he is still a horse that we could run in an Everest. He would need to do some work this week if he is to run, and at the moment we don’t know when that would be until we see some improvement with the eye.
“They can clear up quickly, but we are taking precautions with him because he is a very valuable horse.”
Paulele is an $18 chance for The Everest, where he would have to contend with a soft track, which dulls his brilliance. The other option for Paulele is to run in the Manikato Stakes at Moonee Valley on October 21, a group 1 race for which he is now the $4.40 favourite.
Nature Strip continues a vice-like grip on The Everest according to punters, with the world’s best sprinter an even-money favourite to make it back-to-back victories.
He has had a seamless preparation since returning from his success at Royal Ascot in the King’s Stand and confirmed he was on track by beating the majority of his Everest rivals in The Shorts last month.
“There is still a week to go until the race and things can still go wrong, but he is very well,” Nature Strip’s trainer Chris Waller said. “Everything is ticking along nicely. He had a jumpout during the week and I was very happy.”
Waller would like to see clear weather for the next week, so The Everest can be run on the best possible surface, but like most trainers preparing for race he believes it will be in the soft range at best.
Joe Pride followed his usual preparation with Eduardo, which was a game third in last year’s race, giving him a barrier trial on Friday. He would be suited by some give in the track, whereas Private Eye, Pride’s other Everest runner, needs it firm.
“If it’s heavy, I only have one chance and that’s Eduardo,” Pride said. “He has done everything right and will improve from his run in The Shorts [when a fading fourth].”
Paulele started a wonderful Saturday for Godolphin, which went on to take two group 1s – the Might And Power Stakes with Anamoe and Caulfield Guineas with Golden Mile – to continue a stellar start to the season.
Cummings warned he thinks Anamoe will improve again into the Cox Plate after beating all his weight-for-age rivals with his customary turn of foot at Caulfield.
“I know that he has performed well there before, and he won there on the weekend, but I don’t think he is a Caulfield horse,” Cummings said. “He just didn’t handle the turn, and made things harder for himself. We know from last year at Moonee Valley, he is better there.”
Meanwhile, Racing NSW stewards have decided to call for new nominations in the Silver Eagle and the Angst Stakes, which were moved on to The Everest program after the final four races were called off at Randwick on Saturday.
Preference will be given to the horses that had been drawn in the field on Saturday and all-in betting will stand for the Silver Eagle and Angst Stakes. That will please punters, who took $15 about Waterford, which was backed into a $5 second favourite by raceday.
The field for the Gloaming Stakes, which was shifted to Wednesday’s Warwick Farm meeting, will remain the same, but the race has been reduced to 1600m as there is no 1800m start at the Liverpool track.
