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| Staff Writer |
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The 2024 Gr.1 The Everest may be five months away, but the first major contender has already emerged in the form of exciting Western Australian juvenile Bustling.
The son of Frosted has been snapped up by prominent owners Max Whitby and Neil Werrett, securing a coveted slot in the $20 million sprint. Bustling joins the Caulfield stable of Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr after winning four of his first five starts, including the Gr.2 Karrakatta Plate and Gr.3 WA Sires'.
Former co-owner and breeder Neville Duncan believes Bustling ranks among the best horses he's ever produced. "He's up there with the best two or three horses I've ever bred," Duncan said. "Some of his sectionals are just amazing. They're older horses' sectionals."
Duncan, who bred dual Cox Plate winner Northerly, added: "He's up around there with Marasco. I know that's a big call, but early days he's up there."
Bustling's Karrakatta Plate victory saw him smash the race record, clocking 1:09.06 - comparable to the time set in The Quokka on the same day.
"He smashed the Karrakatta record and it was basically the same time as the Quokka on the same day," Duncan explained. "To offer some perspective, the race was on the same day, over the same distance and run within half an hour on the same track."
Duncan revealed he turned down a lucrative offer for Bustling to contest The Quokka against older horses. "We did knock back the opportunity to run in the Quokka. I didn't want to run the horse," he said. "We had a call and it was a serious offer. For me, it's not about the money, for want of a better word."
Bustling is out of the WA stakes-placed mare Busimiss (Key Business), a mare Duncan sold in 2019 for $15,000, rebought for just $800 and sent to Frosted to produce the star sprinter.
Kent Jnr reported Bustling has settled well at Caulfield: "He's been here for 10 days and Mick (Price) is already very fond of him. He's a gorgeous horse and awfully athletic."
The trainers are eyeing a three-run campaign towards The Everest. "All plans are fluid, but we think we want to get to The Everest third-up," Kent Jnr explained. "My opinion is it's a luxury to have a slot already, so I don't think he needs to meet The Everest horses until the big day."
Kent Jnr added: "He is not a typical two-year-old type, he's got a lot of leg beneath him and has a lot of growing to do and that was one of the factors, we were confident he wasn't just a flash in the pan."
The Everest, first run in 2017, has quickly established itself as one of the world's richest turf races. Price and Kent Jnr will be aiming for their first Everest victory with Bustling, while Whitby and Werrett look to add to their 2020 triumph with Classique Legend.
As the countdown to The Everest begins, all eyes will be on Bustling's progress. With his raw talent, record-breaking performances, and high-profile connections, the WA wonder could be set to make a significant impact on Australia's richest race.