Written by Paul Vettise
Chris Waller is halfway up the mountain with two runners in the $14 million TAB Everest and early spring results will determine whether the champion trainer adds to his hand in Randwick’s feature October sprint.
The former West Australian-trained mares Arcadia Queen (Pierro) and Enticing Star (Testa Rossa) were sent to him by owner Bob Peters to chase Everest spots and they were duly picked up by slot holders The Star and Chris Waller Racing respectively.
Now, the stable’s Everest attention turns to this season’s G2 Todman S. winner Yes Yes Yes (Rubick), with Nature Strip (Snitzel) an outside hope.
“Essentially, every owner in the country, if not the world, wants to win the Everest,” said Waller’s Racing Manager Charlie Duckworth.
“Essentially, every owner in the country, if not the world, wants to win the Everest.” – Charlie Duckworth.
“We will be trying to get slots and it’s just a case of appealing to the right slot holder. Obviously, there are only limited spaces and Coolmore are now involved in Yes Yes Yes and they haven’t allocated their slot yet.
“They would be the likely candidate if they were up for that. He’s a very exciting colt, but if he wins the Everest does that make him a commercial stallion without that Group 1 next to his name?”
A decision from Coolmore on their slot representative won’t be made before Yes Yes Yes resumes in the new season.
Yes Yes Yes could be a likely candidate for Coolmore's Everest Slot
“He’ll either start in the Run To The Rose and go on to the Golden Rose and that will be our turning point whether he goes to the Everest,” Duckworth said.
“If he’s ready, because we are a bit ahead of schedule, he could in the San Domenico.
“He’s a more mature colt and he’s really come on mentally as well and grown up. He’s relaxing really well in his work and James McDonald rode him in a gallop recently and he was absolutely rapt with him.
“He’s a more mature colt and he’s really come on mentally as well and grown up.” – Charlie Duckworth.
“We didn’t do too much with him, he just quickened over the last 300 metres of a 1000 metre gallop and James had a smile ear to ear.”
Yes Yes Yes has won three of his five starts and hasn’t raced since he finished seventh on an unsuitably heavy track in the G1 Golden Slipper S.
Nature Strip was turned out after he finished fourth off a wide barrier in the G1 Doomben 10,000.
“He’s strengthened up and we spelled him up in Queesland,” Duckworth said. “He came through winter unscathed and haven’t had to endure any hardship at all, It’s something we’ve done with our better horses year in and year out.
“They bounce through it and come in with good coats. They don’t come in all hairy looking like they need to be clipped and come in happy, that’s what he’s done and much better for it.”
Options aplenty
Duckworth said there were a number of options for Nature Strip, who won the G1 Galaxy last preparation, and his programme has yet to be set in stone.
“The Melbourne Racing Club has thrown in the Schillaci as a win and you’re in. It’s obviously very tempting, especially being over 1100 metres.
“That looks to be the perfect race, but we’re not sure if it is the perfect preparation if you’re trying to get to an Everest and we’d have to back him up.
Nature Strip has plenty of options
“There’s plenty of options with him. The main thing is he’s come back well and ultimately we’ll wait for him to trial and make a better assessment then as to exactly where we’ll kick off.”
Owner Rod Lyons has indicated the G3 Concorde S. and the G2 Premiere S. are likely to be Nature Strip’s opening two assignments.
