The inaugural A$10million The Everest (1200m) is taking shape with eight of the twelve runners confirmed.
Slot holder Coolmore are yet to name a horse and are likely to wait till after the Gr.1 Moir Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley on Friday and the Gr.2 Premiere Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday before locking in a runner.
Coolmore part-owns talented three-year-olds Merchant Navy (Fastnet Rock), Formality (Fastnet Rock) and Tulip (Pierro), who was fourth in the Gr.2 Tea Rose Stakes (1400m) on 16 September.
The Lindsay Park-trained Tulip would be the most likely contender to run in The Everest.
“We haven’t made any commitments, but we have some possibilities in Coolmore’s ownership and we are remaining open-minded at this stage,” Coolmore racing, sales and marketing manager Sebastian Hutch told ANZ Bloodstock News on Sunday.
“The shape of the race has evolved over the past month and we saw important racing on the weekend and there is important racing on again this weekend.”
Tulip was bred by Orpendale and purchased by BBA Ireland and Lindsay Park Racing for $400,000 from Curraghmore Stud's 2016 NZB Premier draft.
Curraghmore will offer a full brother to Formality in their NZB Ready To Run draft. -ANZ Bloodstock News
