Every inch counts in Everest

The $11 million NZD showdown for the world’s richest turf race will be fought out over 1200 metres but Redzel’s jockey Kerrin Mcevoy says the key to winning is to ride the race so that ‘‘every inch counts’’.

Melbourne Cup winner Mcevoy is one of just two Everest jockeys to have ridden in a $11 million race before, alongside Jamie Spencer, who will fly in this week to partner Brave Smash, with both hoops having ridden for the same prizemoney on dirt in the Dubai World Cup.

‘‘I rode in a couple of World Cups and the key to races like this is to enjoy it,’’ Mcevoy said.

‘‘You don’t get the chance to ride for this sort of prizemoney that often. You want to keep it as close to normal as possible because you know there is more pressure, but you need to enjoy that.

‘‘Being over 1200m makes the race itself even more pressure and you don’t want to ride it before you get there. You don’t want to miss the start, you don’t want to make an error because every inch counts when you are taking on the best sprinters at their best trip.’’

Mcevoy has earned the reputation as one of the best bigrace riders in the country and his near-perfect effort on Almandin to win last year’s Melbourne Cup showcased his talent. He was in demand for the first running of The Everest but chose Redzel, which is working on a four-race streak, including the Doomben 10,000, after his two runs this preparation that earned him the James Harron slot in the $11 million race.

Redzel returned with a show of sheer speed under Mcevoy in the Concorde Stakes over 1000m, which caught the attention of Harron to sign him in his slot.

Redzel then smashed the 1100m Randwick record in The Shorts on September 17 for Hugh Bowman, with Mcevoy riding in Melbourne.