Craig Kerry
Ideal draws, smooth preparations, winning form and the likelihood of favourable track conditions.
It all sounds like a recipe for success for Ciaron Maher when he takes his Everest place-getters from last year, Tempted and Jimmysstar, to Randwick on Saturday for the $20 million showpiece.
The premier Victorian trainer, though, is not getting his hopes up of toppling defending champion Ka Ying Rising, whatever the weather.
The Hong Kong superstar has drifted slightly in betting to $1.50 (TAB) with heavy rain on Tuesday and patchy showers since making the Randwick track a heavy 8. The chance of more rain through to the race is likely to keep it as wet, or worse, setting up a test for the world’s highest-rated horse, which has raced predominantly on good surfaces at Sha Tin through his brilliant career of 22 wins from 24 starts.
However, Maher still has deja vu.
“I feel it’s pretty similar to last year,” Maher said. “Ka Ying, it’s his second time travelling and no doubt things would be smoother for him this time around, and he was able to win and win quite easy last time.
“He’s obviously the world’s best for a reason and I feel he’s in better order than last time.
“How much weight you put on track or order, he’s still going to be mighty, mighty hard to beat, I feel.
“It might be a little bit wetter, but he’s probably in better order and he knows what he’s in for.”
Maher is best placed to upset the champion, with Tempted ($5) and Jimmysstar ($12) next best in betting.
Tempted was second last year as a three-year-old filly carrying just 51 kilograms from gate one. She has been unbeaten since and has barrier one again, although she rises to 56.5kg.
Gate one has been viewed by some pundits as a potential negative, especially if the track is heavy, but Maher was taking it, and a wet surface, as positives.
“It’s ideal,” he said of the draw. “She ran second last year so she certainly handled it fine. It’s all depending on the track, and who knows what that’s going to be.
“I think she’s pretty right to go and if it’s a bit wetter, it might impede some of the others, but I don’t think it will worry her too much.
“She’s unbeaten on the soft, she’s never raced on a heavy, but she’s probably better credentialled than most to handle it.
“A heavy is an unknown, but she’s been on heavy tracks in trials, and they are going to trial well because they are not coming off the bit, but I would think she would get through it.”
Jimmysstar, third last year despite a wide draw and run, bounced back from a disappointing ninth in the Memsie Stakes to secure his Everest spot with a slashing win in the Manikato. He jumps from gate eight, which Maher hopes will suit.
“He was great last start, and he’s a similar style of horse to Tempted,” he said.
“He’s got an electric turn of foot and they are not too different physically: they are both strong, not overly big, but just balls of muscle.
“That first run, I didn’t know what to make of that because it didn’t make sense from what he was showing us.
“Whether he just didn’t like getting buffeted around with big Angel [Capital] laying on him. We know he likes a bit of clear air.
“He’s drawn pretty ideal for him, with that in mind, and he’s travelled back up to Sydney in good order. We put the shades on last start and they were no negative. A bit of juice in the track certainly doesn’t worry him.
“Their preps have been smooth.”
Maher, who will be at Randwick despite having at least five in the Caulfield Cup, also has Pride Of Jenni as a headline act on Everest day. The nine-year-old front-running cult hero takes on Australia’s best, Autumn Glow, and two-time defending champion Ceolwulf in the $5 million King Charles III Stakes (1609m) after a third consecutive Feehan Stakes win.
Pride Of Jenni has not won in three Sydney runs since her remarkable Queen Elizabeth Stakes victory in 2024, but Maher believed she was ready to fire.
“I don’t think the Sydney-Melbourne thing is much to go on; it’s more how she’s going,” he said.
“In terms of prepping a horse for their best, it’s been pretty ideal.
“You would say the [Feehan] didn’t rate as well, but [jockey] Dec [Bates] didn’t let her go, so that affects the rating and speed of the race. She’s ready to run her best mile.
“He will be unleashing the shackles. He minded her a bit last start, which is good. If they do that first up, they always thrive second up.
“It’s hard to say she’s going as well as 2024, but I don’t think she’s far off it at all.
“She’s nine and you would think the races would have some toll on her, but if I didn’t know her age, I would say she’s going every bit as good.”