Chris Waller’s defending champion, Nature Strip, has the outside barrier to overcome in his bid at back-to-back $15 million The Everest (1200m) wins this Saturday at Royal Randwick.

Nature Strip is favourite to go back-to-back in The Everest 2022 this weekend in Sydney. Photo: Steve Hart.

Twelve of the country’s best sprinters face off in the sixth edition of the world’s richest turf race on the weekend, and all the money is on eight-year-old Nature Strip to emulate Redzel (2017, 2018) to become the second dual The Everest champion in history.

He has been outstanding since winning the event last year at his third attempt collecting a host of other elite level races both in Australia and overseas.

The Champion Racehorse of the Year was so dominant winning the King’s Stand Stakes in the UK by over four lengths before returning home to win the Group 2 The Shorts fresh leading-up to his The Everest title defence.

Nature Strip jumps from barrier 12 of 12 on the weekend with the flying James McDonald in the saddle again, the duo dominating The Everest betting at quote of $2 through Ladbrokes.

Only two other The Everest contenders are under $10 for the win this Sydney Spring Racing Carnival with Lost And Running ($7) and Eduardo ($8.50) having run fourth and third respectively in last year’s race.

The John O’Shea-trained Per Incanto gelding Lost And Running is third-up and fit on Saturday having run third in The Shorts before a fighting victory in the Group 2 Premiere Stakes (1200m) here on October 1.

He jumps from barrier seven with Hugh Bowman in the saddle, while Eduardo is wider in gate nine for jockey Nash Rawiller.

Trainer Joe Pride has two The Everest runners in 2022 with his nine-year-old stalwart Eduardo joined in the line-up by last start Group 2 Gilgai Stakes winner Private Eye.

Eduardo is the early The Everest betting market mover having been backed in from double-figures with the likely Heavy track to suit.

He won fresh on a Heavy (9) in the Group 3 Concorde Stakes (1000m) carrying 60.5kg to a big 2.5 length win before a fourth when under two lengths beaten on Soft going in The Shorts.

Private Eye, a four-time winner from five starts at the 1200m distance, was also good with a big weight winning the Gilgai down the Flemington straight by over two lengths with 60kg on his back.

He is at a current quote of $14 to beat the big guns on The Everest Day, but shapes up as potential value for a placing.

Masked Crusader is drawn barrier 10 for William Pike, the Hawkes Racing-trained galloper out to go one better than his second to Nature Strip when narrowly beaten last spring.

The Toronado six-year-old remains winless since his Premiere Stakes success last year leading-up to The Everest and comes off a third in that same event this year when finishing off well.

There are two three-year-old The Everest hopefuls this year out to join Yes Yes Yes (2019) as the only youngster to win the event so far.

Jacquinot is the better fancied of the pair at $10 following his eye-catching Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) win out wide in Sydney last time out.

Giga Kick is the other three-year-old in the mix jumping from barrier five with Craig Williams riding the $20 outsider in betting.

The Clayton Douglas-trained son of Scissor Kick is undefeated bringing a flawless four-from-four record into his acid test on the weekend having won the Group 2 Danehill Stakes (1100m) at an odds-on quote at headquarters a fortnight back.

Mazu ($16) is the only other chance under double-figures with Sam Clipperton booked to ride the Group 1 winning son of Maurice.

The now four-year-old took out a string of races last time in including the Group 2 Arrowfield 3YO Stakes (1200m) on a Heavy (10) at Randwick in April.

He backed up in Brisbane winning the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 (1200m) and comes via the traditional The Everest lead-ups with a The Shorts fifth and brilliant second in the Premiere.

The Everest is scheduled as Race 7 at 4:15pm (AEDT) on Randwick’s bumper 10-race card for Saturday.

Table Credit: Racing Australia.