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.
asserted
he → sound → showpiece
The premier Victorian trainer, though, is not getting his hopes up of toppling defending champion Ka Ying Rising, whatever the weather.
asserted
weather → get → Rising
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.
asserted
track → drift → Tuesday
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.
asserted
which → keep → starts
However, Maher still has deja vu.
asserted
Maher → have → vu
“I feel it’s pretty similar to last year,” Maher said.
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Maher → feel → year
“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.
asserted
he → ’ → him
“He’s obviously the world’s best for a reason and I feel he’s in better order than last time.
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he → ’ → time
“How much weight you put on track or order, he’s still going to be mighty, mighty hard to beat, I feel.
asserted
I → put → track
“It might be a little bit wetter, but he’s probably in better order and he knows what he’s in for.”
uncertain
he → ’ → what
Maher is best placed to upset the champion, with Tempted ($5) and Jimmysstar ($12) next best in betting.
asserted
Maher → place → betting
Tempted was second last year as a three-year-old filly carrying just 51 kilograms from gate one.
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Tempted → carry → gate
She has been unbeaten since and has barrier one again, although she rises to 56.5kg.
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she → have → kg
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.
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Maher → view → positives
“It’s ideal,” he said of the draw.
asserted
he → ’ → draw
“She ran second last year so she certainly handled it fine.
asserted
she → run → it
It’s all depending on the track, and who knows what that’s going to be.
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that → depend → what
“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.
“
uncertain
it → think → her
She’s unbeaten on the soft, she’s never raced on a heavy, but she’s probably better credentialled than most to handle it.
asserted
she → ’ → 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,
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they → go → bit
but I would think she would get through it.”
asserted
she → think → 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.
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Jimmysstar → bounce → Manikato
He jumps from gate eight, which Maher hopes will suit.
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Maher → jump → gate
“He was great last start, and he’s a similar style of horse to Tempted,” he said.
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he → ’ → Tempted
“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.
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they → get → 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.
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he → know → us
“Whether he just didn’t like getting buffeted around with big Angel [Capital] laying on him.
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he → like → him
We know he likes a bit of clear air.
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he → know → air
“He’s drawn pretty ideal for him, with that in mind, and he’s travelled back up to Sydney in good order.
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he → draw → order
We put the shades on last start and they were no negative.
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they → put → shades
A bit of juice in the track certainly doesn’t worry him.
“Their preps have been smooth.”
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preps → worry → him
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.
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who → have → 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.
asserted
hero → run → 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.
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she → win → 2024
“I don’t think the Sydney-Melbourne thing is much to go on; it’s more how she’s going,” he said.
asserted
he → think → ?
“In terms of prepping a horse for their best, it’s been pretty ideal.
asserted
it → preppe → best
“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.
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that → say → race
She’s ready to run her best mile.
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She → ’ → mile
“He will be unleashing the shackles.
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He → unleash → shackles
He minded her a bit last start, which is good.
asserted
which → mind → her
…and 3 more, not listed.
The Aporia
