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| Dane Squance |
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Snapdancer, the brilliant dual Group 1-winning mare, will give trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace their first runner in the $15m The TAB Everest at Royal Randwick next month.
Sebastian Hutch, the chief executive of Inglis Bloodstock, confirmed on Thursday that Snapdancer had been locked in for the Inglis-owned Everest slot.
Inglis compiled a video announcing Snapdancer as their Everest runner and managed to convince Maher to do his own version of “The Floss Dance” after learning his mare will be in the elite 12-horse field for the world’s richest turf race on October 15.
“We are very grateful to Inglis for selecting Snapdancer as their Everest runner,’’ Maher said.
“For years we have sat back and watched this phenomenon that is The Everest.
“So, for Snapdancer to be our first runner is a really great achievement for the team.’’
Snapdancer will go straight to The Everest next month on the back of her Group 1 win in the Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield where she defeated subsequent Makybe Diva Stakes winner I’m Thunderstruck.
A last start over 1400m has been a good base for an assault on The Everest with Vega Magic winning the Memsie only to finish a close second to Redzel in race’s inaugural running in 2017.
Snapdancer has proven very effective over the Randwick 1200m course herself, recording a stunning 1min 7.67sec to win there earlier in her career. She’s also won a Group 3 Triscay Stakes over The Everest course.
“She is in career-best form and will be absolutely ready to rip in the middle of October,’’ Eustace said.
Snapdancer is part-owned by syndicator Brad Spicer who was relieved the deal had finally been negotiated with Inglis to gain a start in The Everest.
“This mare is such a superstar and for the next five weeks leading into the race it is going to be a hell of a lot of fun,’’ Spicer said.
Snapdancer becomes the sixth sprinter confirmed as a runner in The Everest after the top four finishers in last year’s race, Nature Strip (slot-holder Chris Waller Racing), Masked Crusader (Max Whitby, Neil Werrett and Col Madden), Eduardo (Yulong) and Lost And Running (TAB) confirmed starters.