Everest features Horse of the Year

The title of 2020 Australian Horse of the Year has been weighed heavily on Nature Spirit, who starts in Saturday’s $10.7 million Everest Stakes at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney.

In the last month, Nature Spirit lost his rider during a training race and later finished fourth as the 6-5 favorite in the Group 2 Premiere Stakes at six furlongs on Oct. 3 at Randwick. He led to the final furlong before fading.

Nature Spirit, a 6-year-old Southern Hemisphere gelding, was named Horse of the Year earlier this month on the basis of two Group 1 wins in sprints last November and March. Fourth in the 2019 Everest Stakes, Nature Spirit will start Saturday as a leading choice along with Classique Legend, a closer who won the Group 2 The Shorts Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs on Sept. 19 at Randwick and was second to Libertine in the Premiere by two lengths.

As of Wednesday, Nature Spirit and Classique Legend were co-favorites at 7-2 in the future book.

The Everest is a subscriptionstyle race in which owners acquire berths, similar to the foundation of the Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park. The Everest is not a group-class race, but has drawn a top-level field and is Australia’s richest race. The Melbourne Cup, the nation’s most famous race, is worth $5.5 million and will be run Nov. 3.

The Everest is the seventh race on a 10-race program that begins at 9:30 p.m. Eastern, or 6:30 p.m. Pacific, on Friday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

While much of the focus will be on whether Nature Spirit can regain top form and end a two-race losing streak since the Group 1 T.J. Smith Stakes at Randwick in April, he will face notable opposition from runners such as Gytrash, who won the Group 3 Concorde Stakes at five furlongs on Sept. 5 at Randwick; and Trekking, who was second in the Group 1 Moir Stakes at five furlongs on Sept. 25 at Moonee Valley and is a threat from off the pace.

Caulfield Cup

The Everest Stakes may have the prize money, but Saturday’s Group 1 Caulfield Cup at 1 1/2 miles at Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne has the prestige. The Caulfield Cup will be the Australian debut of the Irish import Anthony Van Dyck, who starts against the brilliant Australian mare Verry Elleegant. They were 4-1 co-favorites as of Wednesday.

Anthony Van Dyck, third in the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita, won the Group 2 Prix Foy at Longchamp on Sept. 13 in Paris for his first victory in his third start this year for trainer Aidan O’Brien.

Verry Elleegant is unbeaten in two starts at 1 1/2 miles, including the Group 1 Tancredo Stakes on March 28. at Rosehill Gardens She won the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on Oct. 3 at Flemington, closing from eighth to edge Toffee Tongue by a nose.