Joliestar was given a quiet trial at Randwick yesterday with James McDonald confirming her as his Everest ride.
Regular rider Luke Nolan retains the I Wish I Win ride and Moody said the son of Savabeel is as good as last year.
“When they get a bit older you look after them a bit more,” he said in reference to I Wish I Win’s easier workload.
“But I think he is going into this in at least as good a form as he did last year, if not better.
“His two runs this time probably matched what he did in his two lead-up runs last year but I honestly think it has been a better preparation.
“Being a year older we gallop him a bit less but he is a happy horse.”
Leasing an Everest slot last year and putting I Wish I Win in it to represent New Zealand provided new TAB bosses Entain with one of its first major commercial victories in NZ as the turnover on the race increased substantially.
The Everest also provided one of the great stories in the history of New Zealand racing when an Auckland punter won $10 million by picking the correct finishing order of the entire field in a TAB-run promotion.
That promotion, free to all TAB account holders, opens next week, once the final field is announced.
While anything can happen in racing, particularly with world-class sprinters who live on a knife edge, the 12 slots for the Everest have now been filled, with Growing Empire taking the slot of his owners Yulong to give trainer Ciaron Maher three starters in the race.
He was awesome before being grabbed on the line in the Manikato Stakes at The Valley two weeks ago and if he draws well the 3-year-old, who was $6 with the TAB last night, could start favourite next week. The one Everest slot horse in doubt for the 1200m dash for mega cash is I Am Me, who had blood in one nostril after a trial last week.
She will have to gallop 1000m in front of stewards on Monday and then pass a veterinary examination to be allowed to take her place in the field.
The 12 horses signed to slots for the Everest are: I Wish I Win (NZ), Joliestar (NZ), Bella Nipotina, Traffic Warden, Growing Empire, Sunshine In Paris, Giga Kick, Stefia Magnetica, Storm Boy, Private Eye, I Am Me, Lady Of Camelot.
The Everest
What: The world’s richest turf race.
When: October 19
Where: Royal Randwick, Sydney.
Conditions: A slot race, meaning slot holders negotiate to get the best horses to run on their behalf.
Kiwi reps: I Wish I Win runs in Trackside Media slot for majority owner Mark Chittick; Joliestar in the Chris Waller slot for owners Brendan and Jo Lindsay.
Your chance: The NZ TAB holds a free competition to win $10 million by picking the right finishing order. Last year, it was won by an Auckland man.
Watch live: Trackside (Sky Ch62) and trackside.co.nz
Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990. He became the Herald’s Racing Editor in 1995 and covers the world’s biggest horse racing carnivals.
