A Randwick trial win by sprint queen Sunlight has The Everest 2019 slot holder primed for her Spring Carnival pipe opener in the Group 3 $160,000 Concorde Stakes (1000m) at Randwick on September 7.
Sunlight, above, has won a Randwick barrier trial in preparation for The Everest 2019 at Randwick. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Three times Group 1 winner Sunlight did what trainer Tony McEvoy expected when she recorded a half length win in a 900m barrier trial this morning and the new season four year old mare is booked in for a second trial in a fortnight in preparation for her return to the race track.
“She’s come back better. All the signs are that she is even better again, which is what they need to do going from three to four,” McEvoy told racing .com..
“She’s due to trial again on the 27th (August) and that will have her spot-on for her first-up run (G3 Concorde Stakes at Randwick) on the seventh (of September).’’
Sunlight jumped cleanly from the gates and was quickly into stride to sit outside of the leader before cruising to the line under her own steam with Luke Currie sitting as a quiet as a mouse.
“She looks like she is fully matured now,” Calvin McEvoy told The Everest News Desk.
“Every time she came back she looked better and better but now she looks like a proper racehorse.”
“If she takes the steps we think she will she has to be one of the top sprinters in the country.”
“Her attitude at the track is fantastic, she bowls out in the morning and struts her stuff. She knows she’s good and that’s a great quality to have.”
Sunlight had a stellar three year old season with a Group 1 treble split over the 2018 Melbourne Spring Carnival and the 2019 Melbourne Autumn Carnival.
She beat her own age to win the Group 1 $1m Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on day one of the 2018 Melbourne Cup Carnival and returned in the Autumn to beat the older sprinters under handicap conditions to win the Group 1 $1.25m Seppelt Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington and then made it back to back Group 1 wins with an all the way win in the weight for age Group 1 $500,000 Keogh Homes William Reid Stakes (1200m) at The Valley.
Sunlight will race in The Everest slot owned by Max Whitby and Neil Werrett and is well in contention in the betting at Ladbrokes.com.au at $9 behind the $5 favourite Santa Ana Lane, the James Cummings trained Osborne Bulls at $7 and Arcadia Queen and Pierata who are sharing the next line of betting at $8.
Early betting for the 2019 The Everest at Ladbrokes.com.au: $5 Santa Ana Lane, $7 Osborne Bulls, $8 Arcadia Queen, Pierata, $9 Sunlight, $10 Classique Legend, $11 Redzel, $13 Alizee, In Her Time, $15 Brutal, Enticing Star, Ten Sovereigns, $17 Yes Yes Yes, Graff, $21 Hot King Prawn, Zoustyle, Nature Strip, $26 Advertise, The Bostonian, $34 Vega Magic, Zousain, $41 or better the rest.
