When the horses thundered past the post in last year’s race, there was only horse guaranteed a spot for 2023. So, what does a trainer do for 12 months to get their horse primed for the big one?
When the horses thundered past the finishing post in last year’s The Everest in front of a Royal Randwick moshpit belting outPeter Snowden’s horse, Mazu, had just run third in the world’s richest race on turf, banking $1.4 million for his trouble. But there was a kicker: he was the only horse guaranteed a start in the 2023 race the moment all his rivals went back to the stalls after the 2022 event.
So, how long does it take to get a horse ready for The Everest? And what is a trainer actually wanting to do to have their charge at their absolute best at Royal Randwick on Saturday?Each campaign Snowden plots with Mazu starts with a familiar pattern: he’ll look at the racing calendar, circle the main target for his horse and then work backwards.
“You can’t give them too long out, but you don’t want to overtax them either,” Snowden says. “This year he had four or five weeks out. We were getting updates and video from him every week and we knew by that time he’d had long enough out.”Mazu spent two weeks on a treadmill at a pre-training facility starting to build his fitness again before returning to the Snowdens’ stables at Royal Randwick. Once he returned to their yard he’s only ridden by one trackwork rider, Donovan Howell.
Mazu resumed in The Shorts on September 16 and finished ninth of 12 runners behind Private Eye. But the beauty of The Everest is a lot of Mazu’s rivals still hadn’t earned a slot in The Everest and needed to run well to attract the attention of the slotholders, while his place was assured for the big race.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
$20 beauty buy leaves skin ‘instantly smooth’Turning discarded coffee grounds into a multimillion-dollar skincare business sounds like a wild idea, but that’s exactly what the founders of cult natural skincare brand Frank Body have managed to achieve.
Read more »
‘We just keep it simple’: Moody relaxed heading into The EverestPeter Moody has had the Everest preparation he wanted with favourite I Wish I Win, but will wait until Thursday to head to Sydney for the $20 million race.
Read more »
‘We just keep it simple’: Moody relaxed heading into The EverestPeter Moody has had the Everest preparation he wanted with favourite I Wish I Win, but will wait until Thursday to head to Sydney for the $20 million race.
Read more »
Chinese billionaire may go left field with final runner in Everest fieldYulong-owned $10 million English mare Alcohol Free has the inside running for the stud’s Everest slot, but there are other choices.
Read more »
‘It is about the money’: How The Everest brought Gerry and Singo together againThis time the larrikins joined forces when Singleton spotted a colt in a paddock at Harvey’s Hunter Valley stud. A short while and $1 million later, he was in.
Read more »