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| Staff Writer |
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Lost And Running's trainer John O'Shea remains optimistic about the gelding's chances of securing a slot for the Everest, despite his poor performance in the Shorts. With Giga Kick's injury, James Harron is now in the market for a runner, and several other slot holders have yet to make their selections.
Lost And Running faced a tough run from a wide draw in the Shorts, but O'Shea is not worried and points to the gelding's strong performances in previous years.
“When he ran fourth in The Everest two years ago, he ran in The Shorts and ran eight lengths last,” O’Shea said.
“He got beaten four-and-a-half the other Saturday, so I reckon he’s going alright.
“He goes to the Premiere. We just have to hope for an economical run going forward.”
Lost And Running, a three-time winner second-up, has had a tough year with a series of misfortunes. Last year, he won the Premiere Stakes and was a top contender in the Everest markets, but was scratched due to lameness. During the autumn, he only made two starts, drawing the outside gate in the TJ Smith and All Aged Stakes, and over-racing badly in the latter.
Despite these setbacks, Lost And Running is expected to compete strongly in the upcoming Premiere Stakes, which has served as a useful guide for the Everest. Classique Legend finished as runner-up in the 2020 Premiere and went on to win the world’s richest turf sprint, while Masked Crusader won the first leg in 2021 before narrowly losing to Nature Strip in the showpiece. Ben Melham will be the jockey for Lost And Running.