Everest champ Redzel making a good recovery from muscle soreness

[Nergal]

 

TRAINER Peter Snowden remains confident Redzel will be fit to defend his title in The Everest despite having to be withdrawn from The Shorts last Saturday due to muscle soreness.

Redzel, Sydney’s super sprinter, hurt himself in his box overnight and the Snowden stable was not about to take any risks with the gelding, scratching him from The Shorts on race morning.

But Snowden said Redzel was making good progress and he should be able to put the sprinter under saddle as early as Monday morning, continuing the sprinter’s preparation towards the $13 million The TAB Everest (1200m) at Royal Randwick on October 13.

Snowden said he would make a decision later this week whether to start Redzel in the Group 2 $500,000 Premiere Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on September 29 or have two barrier trials going into The Everest.

Redzel lost Everest favouritism when he eased from $4.50 out to $6 after his race-morning scratching from The Shorts.

Trapeze Artist, who resumed with a pleasing third to Home Of The Brave in the Theo Mark Stakes this month, has returned to the top of Everest betting at $5.

The two Everest favourites are likely to clash in the Premiere Stakes this month.

WAIT ON FINAL SLOT
THE final Everest runner won’t be determined this week.

Slot-holders Max Whitby and Neil Werrett will wait until after the Golden Rose and Rupert Clarke Stakes next Saturday.

Whitby is overseas on business but said their shortlist included Home Of The Brave, Le Romain, Ball Of Muscle and possibly the Golden Rose winner.

EXCUSES FOR ENGLISH
ENGLISH was found to be in season after her unplaced effort in The Shorts but remains on track for The Everest.

Slot-holder Damion Flower said his initial disappointment with English’s sixth placings was tempered when trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott revealed there was a valid reason for the mare’s loss.

Flower said he expected English to run well in the Premiere Stakes next start and prove she would be one of the hardest to beat in The Everest.

MOREIRA IN MIX FOR NATURE RIDE
THERE is speculation superstar jockey Joao Moreira is in line to ride Nature Strip in The Everest.

Australian Turf Club officials confirmed Moreira was one of several international jockeys in the mix for the Nature Strip ride because the club was keen to make The Everest a global event.

Moreira is riding in Japan this season and can get permission to ride in The Everest, even though the race doesn’t have Group 1 status.

When Moreira was in Hong Kong, jockeys could only ride internationally if it was a Group 1 race.

The Everest will have its first northern hemisphere-trained starter next month when Irish sprinter US Navy Flag arrives in Sydney next weekend.

US Navy Flag will be trainer Aidan O’Brien’s first Sydney starter and his stable jockey, Ryan Moore, has been confirmed as the rider for The Everest.

Moore has had success in Australia with wins in the 2014 Cox Plate on Adelaide and 2015 Melbourne Cup on Protectionist.