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| Staff Writer |
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Private Eye, trained by Joe Pride and owned by Proven Thoroughbreds syndicator Jamie Walter, has been selected for the A$20 million Royal Randwick sprint next month, making it the second horse from the stable to compete in the world's richest turf race.
Max Whitby and Neil Werrett secured the talented horse after its impressive performance in The Shorts at Randwick last Saturday. Private Eye, who finished second in The Everest last year, is expected to be a major contender in The TAB Everest on October 14, according to Whitby.
"I've known Jamie Walter for more than 40 years, we used to work on the futures floor together at the stock exchange,'' Whitby said.
"We reached out to Jamie on Saturday night and it hasn't taken long to negotiate a deal for Private Eye to run in The Everest.
"Private Eye could not have been more impressive in The Shorts and that was only 1100m. He will be even better again at 1200m.
"Joe Pride knows this horse so well and I understand Private Eye won't race again until The Everest. Neil and I are relieved to have locked in such a top class sprinter with less than a month to the race.''
In their pursuit to win The Everest, Whitby and Werrett have come close twice before with Vega Magic and Masked Crusader finishing second in 2017 and 2021 respectively.
They are hopeful that Private Eye can go one better this year. Last year, Private Eye finished second to Giga Kick, and Pride was confident before the race on Saturday that if he performed well, he would secure a spot in The Everest field.
Private Eye now joins five other horses in the field, leaving six slots vacant. The Shorts served as an audition for The Everest, and Overpass did well to finish second, with trainer Bjorn Baker optimistic that the horse has done enough to earn a slot after winning The Quokka.
"He pulled up well. (He) lost a shoe but we will have a good look at him on Monday," he said.
"We will stick to the plan and go straight to The Everest day and hopefully he can get a slot otherwise he will run in the Sydney Stakes. Four weeks between runs will suit him well and I think he can improve into The Everest."
According to trainer Matthew Smith, Buenos Noches performed exceptionally well and is still open for a slot. In the meantime, In Secret secured her position as the top seed for Godolphin's slot by finishing fourth, and Hawaii Five Oh is preparing for the Premiere Stakes at Royal Randwick on September 30.