A more mature Sunlight is set to the rise to the occasion when she takes her place in the 2019 $14m The Everest (1200m) at Randwick on October 19.
Sunlight, above, is in the early stages of her preparation for The Everest at Randwick. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Trainer Tony McEvoy decided to miss the Adelaide Autumn Carnival and sent Sunlight to the paddock instead with the intention of preparing her for the 2019 The Everest.
Sunlight hasn’t race since finishing third behind Santa Ana Lane in the Group 1 $2.5m Aquis T J Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on the first day of The Championships on April 6 and assistant trainer Calvin McEvoy is delighted with the way the Zoustar filly has returned to the stable.
“She looks like she is fully matured now,” Calvin McEvoy told The Everest News Desk.
“Every time she came back she looked better and better but now she looks like a proper racehorse.”
“If she takes the steps we think she will she has to be one of the top sprinters in the country.”
“Her attitude at the track is fantastic, she bowls out in the morning and struts her stuff. She knows she’s good and that’s a great quality to have.”
Sunlight had a stellar three year old season with a Group 1 treble split over the 2018 Melbourne Spring Carnival and the 2019 Melbourne Autumn Carnival.
She beat her own age to win the Group 1 $1m Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on day one of the 2018 Melbourne Cup Carnival and returned in the Autumn to beat the older sprinters under handicap conditions to win the Group 1 $1.25m Seppelt Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington and then made it back to back Group 1 wins with an all the way win in the weight for age Group 1 $500,000 Keogh Homes William Reid Stakes (1200m) at The Valley.
Sunlight will race in the Everest slot owned by Max Whitby and Neil Werrett and is well in contention in the betting at Ladbrokes.com.au at $9 behind the $5.50 favourite Santa Ana Lane, the James Cummings trained Osborne Bulls at $7 and Arcadia Queen and Pierata who are sharing the next line of betting at $8.
Pre-post betting for the 2019 The Everest at Ladbrokes.com.au: $5.50 Santa Ana Lane, $7 Osborne Bulls, $8 Arcadia Queen, Pierata, $9 Sunlight, $10 Classique Legend, $11 Redzel, $12 Nature Strip, $13 Alizee, In Her Time, $15 Brutal, $17 Graff, $21 Enticing Star, Hot King Prawn, Zoustyle, $26 Advertise, The Bostonian, $34 or better the rest.
