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| Dane Squance |
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Joe Pride’s first-up Gilgai Stakes winner Private Eye has been confirmed to fill the Inglis slot in this year’s $15 million The Everest (1200m) at Royal Randwick on October 15.
First-up Gilgai Stakes winner Private Eye has been confirmed to run in the 2022 The Everest field for Inglis on October 15. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
Slot-holders Inglis originally named classy Memsie Stakes winning mare Snapdancer from the Maher/Eustace stable to represent them in the sixth edition of the world’s richest turf race.
A subsequent hoof injury however ruled her out of the event opening up the eleventh-hour inclusion of Al Maher five-year-old Private Eye.
Last year’s Epsom champion posted his first win since first-up at Flemington last Saturday with a dominant 2.25 length victory over Roch ‘N’ Horse in the Group 2 Gilgai Stakes (1200m) carrying 60kg.
That top performance with the big weight down the straight caught the eye of Inglis chief executive Sebastian Hutch who confirmed the Proven Thoroughbreds-raced Private Eye had been locked in on Thursday.
“After Saturday’s win in the Gilgai Stakes, he was the obvious horse for everyone to see,” Hutch told the Sydney Morning Herald after securing the deal.
“I looked at that performance and thought he might be the horse we have to beat in The Everest, if someone picked him up, and then Snapdancer was injured.
“He became the right horse at the right time for us. He was the silver lining to a rather dark Everest cloud for us.”
Trainer Pride is now dually represented in this year’s The Everest field with Eduardo having his third shot in the feature sprint as a nine-year-old for Yulong Investments.
Eduardo ran 11th in the 2020 edition behind Classique Legend before an improved third behind superstar Nature Strip in The Everest trifecta last spring.
The evergreen veteran has been the picture of consistency since for three wins from six starts and a credible fourth only 1.65 lengths beaten in the Group 2 The Shorts (1100m) at Randwick on September 17.
Private Eye has been added to The Everest betting at $15 through Ladbrokes.com.au while Eduardo is paying $12 in markets led by the defending Chris Waller-trained champion Nature Strip ($2.10).
“Private Eye is a real exciting horse and over the past 12 months, and particularly in the last six months, he has really come of age,” Pride said.
“He has just become a bigger stronger version of himself, and he has an amazing turn of foot.
“For Private Eye the race set-up is perfect. There is a lot of speed in the race, a lot of speed to lead the race and that is going to ensure a great tempo and give him his chance late.
“Randwick is a swoopers’ track and that will really suit him.”
There is one slot remaining in the 12-horse The Everest field with Godolphin tipped to name Kementari, affectionately dubbed ‘Special K’, as their runner over the fellow James Cummings-trained hopefuls Paulele and In Secret.