Trainer Tony Gollan is keen to chase a slot in The Everest for his new star sprinter Zoustyle with a hit and run mission to Melbourne to run in the Group 2 $400,000 Keno Schillaci Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on October 12.
Santa Ana Lane, above, is the early favourite for the 2019 The Everest at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.
The Melbourne Racing Club has acquired a slot in the $14m The Everest (1200m) at Randwick on October 19 and announced last week that the winner of the Schillaci Stakes will get the opportunity to run in that slot a week later.
The ‘Win and your’re in’ scenario has attracted the attention of Gollan who will now include a Melbourne trip in Zoustyle’s Spring Carnival program.
“It is a brilliant initiative what they have done with the Schillaci,” Gollan told Racenet.
“My horse and every other emerging horse in Australia that has won lower-grade races will certainly now be looking at the Schillaci as a way to get into The Everest.”
Zoustyle is the winner of all of his six race starts but his 2019 Brisbane Winter Carnival campaign had to be cut short after the three year old picked up a virus and had to be spelled after an all the way win in the $105,000 JRA 3yo Plate (1200m) at Doomben on May 18.
Gollan has selected the Group 3 $160,000 Concorde Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on September 7 as Zoustyle’s Spring Carnival pipe opener and is hoping the promising sprinter continues to improve into his four year old season.
“It won’t change my starting point for Zoustyle but it might change things after that,” Gollan said.
“There are four spots left (in The Everest) and the Schillaci could certainly be an option for us, depending on how Zoustyle returns in the Concorde.”
Zoustyle is currently quoted at $21 at Ladbrokes.com.au for The Everest while multiple Group 1 winner Santa Ana Lane heads the betting at $6.
Slots for the 2019 The Everest that have been allocated are Chris Waller Racing – Enticing Star, 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.
Early betting for the 2019 The Everest at Ladbrokes.com.au: $6 Santa Ana Lane, $7 Osborne Bulls, $8 Arcadia Queen, Pierata, $9 Sunlight, $10 Classique Legend, $11 Redzel, $13 Alizee, In Her Time, $15 Brutal, Enticing Star, Ten Sovereigns, $17 Graff, $21 Hot King Prawn, Zoustyle, Nature Strip, $26 Advertise, The Bostonian, $34 Vega Magic, Zousain, $41 or better the rest.
