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| Staff Writer |
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Exciting young sprinter Buenos Noches has been chosen by slot holder TAB as their runner in the highly anticipated A$20 million spectacle, leaving only four remaining slots for the world's richest turf race next month.
TAB made the announcement on Friday, revealing that the talented horse trained by Matthew Smith, Buenos Noches, will be their representative in the prestigious event.
Buenos Noches earned his well-deserved spot in the race following his impressive performance in The Shorts last Saturday, where he showcased his speed and determination by finishing third behind Private Eye and Overpass.
Smith said it was a "huge result" to get Buenos Noches into the The Everest on October 14.
"We can just focus on The Everest and have the horse 110 per cent on the day,'' Smith said. "He doesn't needs to race again before The Everest but we might give him a barrier trial.''
Buenos Noches, a talented racehorse, has achieved great success in his career. With three wins out of nine starts, including an impressive victory in the Gr.3 Show County Quality race, he kicked off his spring campaign in style.
During his time as a 3YO, Buenos Noches came close to triumphing in the prestigious Gr.1 Coolmore Stud Stakes. Despite finishing behind the formidable In Secret, he showcased his potential and nearly defeated Giga Kick in the Danehill Stakes.
The significance of Buenos Noches' performance against Giga Kick was magnified when the latter went on to win The Everest, a highly lucrative race. This remarkable feat prompted Smith, Buenos Noches' trainer, to immediately start devising a plan to secure a spot for his prized horse in the prestigious Randwick sprint this year.
"After Giga Kick won The Everest, I thought straight away we have to give it a crack with Buenos Noches,'' Smith said.
"I know we have a very good horse and we have just concentrated on trying to get him an Everest slot.
"His run in The Shorts last week proved to me he is up with the best sprinters. I wasn't sure about him coming back in trip because those horses are very sharp but he held his own and sprinted home as well as anything in the race.
"He is better going to 1200m, his two runs at Randwick have been excellent and we are very excited to be running in The Everest. We have the right horse and a slot, we are in with a big chance.''
Tabcorp chief executive Adam Rytenskild said Buenos Noches "ticked every box".
"We're really thrilled to have secured Buenos Noches for our TAB Everest slot,'' Rytenskild said.
"His run last Saturday had a TAB Everest written all over it. Buenos Noches really has untapped potential and we've got no doubt he'll improve even further into the TAB Everest.''
Rytenskild said TAB has the benefit of using the insights of Australia's leading form analysts across the TAB and Sky Racing brands and there was a strong view that Buenos Noches will run a huge race.
"He's also one of the great stories of the race. He was a $40,000 purchase and has more than 20 owners who now have the opportunity to be part of the world's richest race on turf,'' Rytenskild said.
"We're really looking forward to working with Matthew Smith who is an emerging trainer – we can't wait to build his profile and tell the Buenos Noches story across our platforms."
Smith has confirmed that star apprentice Dylan Gibbons will continue to ride Buenos Noches in The Everest.
"Dylan has gone to the next level in the last six months, he is riding like a senior and we wanted to have a jockey that could stick with the horse through the spring,'' Smith said.
"Once a jockey knows a horse, those little split second decisions they have to make can be the difference between winning and losing these big races.''
All three horses that placed in The Shorts race have been chosen to compete in The Everest this week. Private Eye has been taken by slot-holders Max Whitby and Neil Werrett, while Overpass was confirmed as a starter for the Australian Turf Club and Ram Racing.
These two join Giga Kick, who is owned by James Harron, I Wish I Win, owned by Trackside Media, Mazu, owned by Arrowfield and The Star, Think About It, owned by Newgate Farm and GPI, and Sunshine In Paris, owned by Aquis, in the prestigious race.
However, slot-holders Chris Waller Racing, Godolphin, Coolmore, and Yulong are yet to announce their chosen horses for The Everest along side James Harton who now has the challenge of signing up another top sprinter with Giga Kick out of the equation.