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| Staff Writer |
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Lady Of Camelot, the brilliant Golden Slipper heroine, is set to take on the world's best sprinters in the US$14 million The Everest at Randwick on October 19. The 3YO filly, trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, has secured her spot in the prestigious race after her owner, Sir Owen Glenn, reached an agreement with James Harron Bloodstock to lease its slot for 2024.
Speaking about the exciting development, Steve O'Connor, director of Glenn's Go Bloodstock operation, said: "We are thrilled to be heading to The Everest with Lady Of Camelot. Winning the breed-shaping Gr.1 Golden Slipper with her was an incredible achievement for Sir Owen, as an owner and a breeder, so to have her now heading towards The Everest will be another exciting step in a fantastic journey."
James Harron, who has twice chosen the winner of The Everest with Redzel (2017) and Giga Kick (2022), expressed his enthusiasm for the arrangement. "Lady Of Camelot is an outstanding flagship for his (Owen's) hugely successful breeding operation, and we are looking forward to cheering her on at Randwick in The Everest, with upside for our partners in the slot built into the deal should she run as well as we hope we can," Harron said.
Lady Of Camelot joins an illustrious group of horses already confirmed for The Everest, including I Wish I Win, Bella Nipotina, Joliestar, Stefi Magnetica, I Am Me, and Storm Boy. The Waterhouse-Bott trained filly will be attempting to make history as the first filly and Golden Slipper winner to capture The Everest.
Since its inception in 2017, The Everest has been won by some of Australia's top sprinters. Redzel claimed the first two editions in 2017 and 2018, while Nature Strip triumphed in 2021 and finished fourth in 2022. Other winners include Yes Yes Yes (2019), Classique Legend (2020), and Giga Kick (2022). Many of these horses have gone on to achieve further Gr.1 success, cementing The Everest's status as a defining race in the Australian sprint calendar.
Lady Of Camelot's connections will be hoping she can add her name to this illustrious list of champions. The filly has already proven her class by winning the Gr.1 Golden Slipper at Rosehill in March, beating a strong field of two-year-olds over 1200 metres.
As the countdown to The Everest continues, all eyes will be on Lady Of Camelot as she prepares for the biggest test of her career. With her Golden Slipper triumph already in the bag, the racing world is eagerly anticipating whether this talented filly can make history and claim victory in one of the world's richest turf races.