Champion trainer Peter Moody is disappointed and perhaps a little daunted that his sprinter I Wish I Win has drawn barrier one for the AU$20 million (approx. HK$100 million) The Everest (1200m) at Royal Randwick in Sydney, Australia on Saturday (14 October).
Moody, who now trains in partnership with Katherine Coleman, was desperate for his outstanding galloper to draw an outside barrier in the 12-horse field, which features eight individual Group 1 winners.
While conceding it’s not a disaster to draw the absolute inside barrier in the 1200m race billed as the world’s richest race on turf – a contest which carries a first prize of AU$7 million (approx. HK$35 million) – the Melbourne trainer said barrier one certainly wasn’t ideal.
“I was looking for mid-field or (an) outside draw,” Moody said. “I don’t think it’s a disaster but it would have made our case a bit easier in mid-field or outside.”
Moody conquered the world stage with his champion mare Black Caviar who added the G1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes (1200m) at Royal Ascot in 2012 as part of her unbeaten career of 25 wins crowned by 15 Group 1 victories.
Moody comments about not wanting an inside barrier draw resulted in I Wish I Win, which has been out of the money only twice in 17 starts, being replaced as favourite by some Australian betting agencies with the Joseph Pride-trained sprinter Think About It, who has won his past eight races for a record of 10 wins and a third from 11 starts.
Think About It has drawn perfectly in barrier five and should be able to settle close to the speed, while I Wish I Win will need luck to weave a clear passage up the straight.
Pride, who will also saddle his five-time Group winner Private Eye, which is behind only his stablemate and I Wish I Win in the local betting market, knows that his horses could earn in about 70 seconds what it took all last year to make.
“It’s crazy. That’s where The Everest just throws your brain process out a bit,” Pride said. “Last year, my horses earned (AU) $7 million (approx. HK$35 million), and there was a lot of good luck and a lot of bad luck, but it balanced out over the year.
“There’s no balancing out in a race which is over in a minute – it’s either good luck or bad luck. Luck can be the difference between winning and losing – (AU) $10 (million) and nothing.”
And while Moody has rued his sprinter’s inside barrier, trainer Bjorn Baker was delighted when Overpass, the only noted front-runner in the field, drew gate two.
“We will utilise that cruising speed, we will be up there and rolling along,” Baker said.
“We’re happy to roll along, that’s how I see our best chance. In some ways, I think it’s better if a horse does go with him and we get a bit of speed into the race.
“He’s got a high cruising speed, that’s how we’ve won our races and how he’s run his best races, he’s been out there doing the work so we’re comfortable in that position.”
Baker says Overpass is a better sprinter this spring than the one that contested The Everest last year, finishing a competitive sixth behind Giga Kick.
With three-year-old’s Yes Yes Yes and Giga Kick winning the race, there is plenty of interest in lightly-weighted youngsters Cylinder and Shinzo.
