By Bren O'Brien
Two more slots in The Everest have been filled with Godolphin opting to run triple Group 1 winning mare Alizee (Sepoy) in the $14 million race, while Chris Waller Racing will give 3-year-old Yes Yes Yes (Rubick) a shot at Australian racing's richest prize.
Alizee, a winner of nine of her 22 starts and nearly $2.5 million in prizemoney, won the nod of Godolphin Australia Managing Director Vin Cox, in preference to stablemate Bivouac (Exceed And Excel).
Alizee will fill Godolphin's slot for The Everest
“We are in the fortunate position of having a choice of quality runners for The Everest, each of which would have been a great chance in the race,” Cox said.
“It wasn’t a simple decision, but in the end Alizee is a high-class mare who has shown excellent form when fresh.”
"In the end Alizee is a high-class mare who has shown excellent form when fresh.” - Vin Cox
“She has shown us in her training and in a recent barrier trial that she is in great form and it’s our belief that she offers us an outstanding chance in this great race.
“We feel that a colt like Bivouac has the opportunity to win a variety of Group 1 races which he will now be aimed at.”
Hugh Bowman will ride Alizee.
Hugh Bowman will ride Alizee
Waller's slot became available when Enticing Star (Testa Rossa) was retired by her owner Bob Peters last week and the champion trainer will now have three runners in the race after opting to select Yes Yes Yes, who joins Arcadia Queen (Pierro) and Nature Strip (Nicconi).
Yes Yes Yes will be the only 3-year-old in the world's richest turf race. He has had seven starts and was a close second behind Bivouac in the G1 Golden Rose S. at his most recent start.
"I have been extremely excited by the way this colt has continued to progress through his short career to date," Waller said. "I have been incredibly pleased with what he has shown me over the past six weeks and I am extremely confident he can acquit himself well under weight-for-age conditions against an outstanding field of open age sprinters."
Yes Yes Yes will run in Chris Waller's slot
Brae Sokolski is the managing owner of Yes Yes Yes and was delighted to have secured the slot.
"He is undoubtedly an elite 3-year-old and importantly still on a steep upward trajectory. We are honoured to have been selected by Chris Waller to take our place in this great race and have every confidence he will acquit himself with distinction," he said.
"We are honoured to have been selected and have every confidence he will acquit himself with distinction." - Brae Sokolski
Coolmore is also in the ownership of the colt and the race presents an opportunity for both the colt himself and his young sire Rubick, who stands at Coolmore Australia, to make an impression.
Waller has been a slot holder for the past three years but has yet to have a runner in The Everest
Godolphin secured its slot when it was put up for tender by Racing NSW after it was vacated by Jadeskye Racing earlier this year. The global powerhouse had Osborne Bulls (Street Cry {Ire}) run third in the race for trainer James Cummings with its first starter in the race last year, but that horse was ruled out for this spring after pulling up lame in the G2 Premiere S. last weekend.
Alizee was last seen when third in the G1 Memsie S. and she has been kept fresh, winning a trial at Randwick late last month. She has won four of her six starts at 1200 metres, her most recent when victorious in the G2 Missile S. at Rosehill back in August.
Her three Group 1 wins have come over longer distance, in the Flight S. and Queen of the Turf over 1600 metres as a 3-year-old and then in the Futurity S. over 1400 metres last February at Caulfield.
While other stablemates have been linked to The Everest slot, Cummings has maintained all along that she was a serious candidate and said the decision came down to careful consideration of the present and future options available to both Alizee and Bivouac.
“Both horses are Group 1 winners and there are good reasons to believe both are capable of running very well in The Everest,” Cummings said.
“Both horses are Group 1 winners and there are good reasons to believe both are capable of running very well in The Everest." - James Cummings
“Alizee has shown she has held onto the good form she showed earlier in her current campaign and will be a very worthy contender in a race of the quality of the Everest.
“She has a great record at Randwick winning five races including two at G1 level – she’s right in this race and we expect her to run well.
“There is a range of Group 1 options open to Bivouac beyond the spring which he will now focus on.”
The only slot remaining is held by the Melbourne Racing Club on behalf of the ATC and will be offered to the winner of the G2 Schillaci S. at Caulfield on Saturday.
Coolmore has reserved its own slot for G1 July Cup winner Ten Sovereigns (Ire) (No Nay Never {USA}), but he will only run should the track not be substantially rain-affected.
The 11 confirmed runners (including Ten Sovereigns) have won over $40 million in combined prizemoney and 21 Group 1 races.
