Sydney’s leading trainer Chris Waller is in no hurry to find a replacement for the Chris Waller Racing slot for the $14m The Everest (1200m) following the surprise withdrawal of the well performed West Australian owned Enticing Star.
Owner Bob Peters will still have Arcadia Queen, above, running for him in The Everest following the withdrawal of her stablemate Enticing Star. Photo by Steve Hart.
Enticing Star had been locked into the Chris Waller Racing slot for the third running of the richest race on turf in the world at Randwick on October 19 but owner Bob Peters announced that the mare would not be running in The Everest and would be sent straight to stud.
Waller had been preparing Enticing Star for the 2019 Spring Carnival with The Everest to be her major assignment, but the mare failed to fire first up when a disappointing fifth to Mizzy in the Group 2 $400,000 Golden Pendant (1400m) at Rosehill last Saturday.
“In the best interests of the horse I have decided to retire Enticing Star,’’ Peters told The Races WA.
“The run on Saturday at Rosehill in the Golden Pendant was below par and indicated to me she doesn’t want to be a racehorse.’’
Peters still has his other top line mare Arcadia Queen locked in to go around in The Everest and she will run in the slot owned by The Star.
Waller said that he and his syndicate will wait until after this weekend’s racing before securing a replacement for their slot with several stable sprinters in contention.
“We understand the importance of public awareness in relation to a replacement horse to fill our Everest slot,’’ Waller told the Racing New South Wales News Desk.
“With there being some important lead up options this weekend, in both Sydney and Melbourne, my shareholders and I have agreed to wait until after the weekend before considering all options and making a decision next week.
“We will provide an update as soon as a decision has been made on a replacement.’’
The Waller trained Nature Strip put himself back into contention for The Everest with a brilliant win in the Group 1 $1m Charter Keck Cramer Moir Stakes (1000m) at The Valley last Friday night while the three year old Yes Yes Yes also comes under consideration following his gutsy second to Bivouac in the Group 1 $1m De Bortoli Wines Golden Rose (1400m) at Rosehill last Saturday.
Slots for the 2019 The Everest that have been allocated are The Star – Arcadia Queen, Yulong Investments – Redzel, Max Whitby – Sunlight, TAB – Santa Ana Lane, Aquis – Pierata, Bon Ho & Carmel Size Racing – Classique Legend and Inglis – In Her Time, Coolmore – Ten Sovereigns.
Early betting for the 2019 The Everest at Ladbrokes.com.au: $5 Pierata, $6 Arcadia Queen, Santa Ana Lane, $7 Classique Legend, $8 Redzel, $9 Osborne Bulls, $13 Bivouac, $15 Alizee, Sunlight, $17 Graff, In Her Time, Nature Strip, Ten Sovereigns, $21 Yes Yes Yes, $41 Trekking, $51 Loving Gaby, Zoustyle, $101 Eduardo, Home Of The Brave, The Bostonian.
