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Trainer John O’Shea has all but conceded The Everest to Nature Strip (Nicconi), suggesting the defending champion probably needs to have an off day if he is to be toppled in the $15 million sprint.
O’Shea says he is happy with the form and progress of his last-start Premiere Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) winner Lost And Running (Per Incanto), but says Nature Strip is ranked as the world's benchmark sprinter for good reason.
"Irrespective of the ground, for us to beat Nature Strip, Nature Strip is going to have to put in a lesser performance, and we're going to have to put in a better performance," O'Shea said.
"If all things are equal, he will beat us nine times out of ten. He is the best sprinter in the world, but there are always the great vagaries of racing and if Nature Strip got attacked in the lead or had something go wrong and we were unimpeded, we're going to run very well."
Lost And Running finished fourth to Nature Strip at his first Everest attempt last year, but O’Shea says the six-year old is a more seasoned horse this preparation and is hoping Lost And Running can draw closer to the outside than the inside.
"I think this year is a lot different to previous years in that there will be a lot of horses looking for the oxygen mask at the top of the straight and the last thing you want is to be impeded by them," he said.
O'Shea has great faith in the ability of his own horse and the improvement Lost And Running has made in the past 12 months. "He looks fantastic and we're looking forward to next Saturday," he said