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| Staff Writer |
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Trained by Waterhouse and Bott, Alcohol Free will be the last runner in the A$20 million TAB The Everest race at Randwick on Saturday. This talented horse, who won the prestigious Group One July Cup in 2022, is entering the race after a solid first-up performance in Australia, finishing fourth by a margin of 2 3/4 lengths to Think About It in the Gr.2 Premiere Stakes.
The Australian Turf Club received 20 nominations for the A$5m King Charles III Stakes on Monday, formerly known as the George Main Stakes. The list was topped by Mr Brightside, the Hayes stable star. He is a six-year-old Bullbars gelding with a flawless record of five wins in his last five starts, and returns to Randwick, where he won the Gr.1 Doncaster Mile over 1600m in April. He won the Group One Makybe Diva Stakes over 1600m at Flemington on September 16th.
Joseph O’Brien’s Buckaroo has been nominated for the race, a lightly raced 5YO Fastnet Rock entire and a duel Listed winner. He was a 1/2L fourth to Anmatt and Light Infantry in the Gr.1 Prix D’Ispahan over 1850m at Longchamp in May. He finished a last start 1 1/4L second in the Gr.2 Dllgham Park Stakes over 1600m at Leopardstown on September 9th. Buckaroo will meet Light Infantry again, along with Nugget, who has also been nominated for the race.
The Maher and Eustace trained 5YO Fast Company (by Danehill Dancer) entire, Kovalica, Fangirl, Democracy Manifest, Atishu, and Rediener are the five horses nominated by the Waller stable.
The highest rated nominated runner is Think It Over, a 6YO So You Think gelding, who has returned from injury to win third up in the 7 Stakes over 1600m at Randwick on September 16th. Kerry Parker has also nominated Group Two winner Hope In Your Heart.
The A$2m, Gr.3 Sydney Stakes has 25 nominations, with a capacity field of 15 plus four emergences. The three-year-old stayers have the A$500,000, Gr.3 Gloaming Stakes with 21 nominations. The weather in Sydney for Everest week is expected to be fine and warm, with temperatures ranging from 22c to 29c.