Backmarker Osborne Bulls will be charging home like he was chasing a red flag at the end of the 1200m of the 2018 $13m The Everest at Randwick on Saturday.
Osborne Bulls, above, will be charging Home at the the end of the 1200m of The Everest at Randwick. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
On pace runners Redzel and U S Navy Flag will be setting a solid pace up front in The Everest while Osborne Bulls will be biding his time in the second half of the twelve horse field.
Osborne Bulls is renowned for his come from behind finishes that have netted him eight wins from twelve race starts and trainer James Cummings is confident he has the Street Cry gelding ready to peak in The Everest after getting a late call up to replace his stablemate Home Of The Brave.
Slot holders the ATC were forced to replace Home Of The Brave after the Godolphin import was found to have a temperature mid-week and was subsequently replaced by his stablemate Osborne Bulls.
“To see the Godolphin colours go around in The Everest will be a huge thrill for the entire organisation,” Cummings said.
“I wanted him third up in the Rupert Clarke because he flies third up, but he missed a run and that wasn’t to be.”
“But he’s third up here, and the way it’s unfolded there’s every reason to think he’ll run a personal best in the Everest.
“Mind you, he’s going to need to produce a PB to compete against the best sprinters in the country at weight-for-age.
“But I can say that he’s as good as I’ve ever had him.
“Whether he’s good enough at this stage, remains to be seen, but to be involved in a race like this, one of the biggest sprints in world racing that has attracted a great field, is a great experience for me and the team.”
Osborne Bulls has worked his way up through the grades and Cummings wasn’t disappointed with the gelding’s first attempt against Group 1 opposition when fifth to Jungle Cat in the $500,000 Ladbrokes Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on September 22.
“He was going into that race off a setback and it was a high pressure Group 1 so I’d be forgiving him that one,’’ Cummings said.
“He ran well without winning but I know he has come on from there.
“He’s probably seasoned enough now, he’s had a trip away and won at various venues but he has shown particular aptitude at Randwick and has a terrific record third-up so I wouldn’t be completely blown away.’’
Osborne Bulls will jump from barrier five in the twelve horse The Everest field, the same barrier that Home Of The Brave drew before he was starched and the the five year old will be ridden by Tommy Berry.
Redzel will be trying to make it back to back wins in The Everest and will jump from barrier one with Kerrin McEvoy in the saddle again while noted front runner U S Navy Flag will be champion Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien’s first runner in The Everest and the multiple Group 1 winner will jump from gate three with English jockey Ryan Moore flying in for the ride.
Betting at Ladbrokes.com.au for The Everest has Osborne Bulls marked as an $18 chance while last year’s winner Redzel holds a slight advantage at the top of the market order at $6.50 over the Lindsay Park trained Vega Magic and Anthony Freedman’s Group 1 winning mare Shoals who share the second line of betting at $7.
Next in the betting at $8 is the Gerald Ryan trained Trapeze Artist just ahead of the Irish sprinter U S Navy Flag at $8.50 and Santa Ana Lane at $9.
