New sprinting sensation Trapeze Artist will race on into the 2018 Spring Carnival after grabbing a slot in the $13m The Everest (1200m) at Randwick in October.
Trapeze Artist, above in black and gold colours, has been confirmed for a slot in the 2018 The Everest at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.
A stud career for Trapeze Artist has been put on hold and owner Bert Vieira is very keen to see his brilliant three year old race in The Everest in the slot owned by Aquis.
A possible overseas campaign is also in the pipeline and could include a trip to Hong Kong later in the year and a campaign in England during the 2019 Royal Ascot Carnival in June.
Trapeze Artist collected his third Group 1 trophy last Saturday at Randwick with a decisive win over tough Group 1 competitor Le Romain in the Group 1 $600,000 Schweppes All Aged Stakes (1400m).
The Snitzel colt’s other Group 1 wins were against his own age in the $1m De Bortoli Wines Golden Rose (1400m) at Rosehill during the 2017 Sydney Spring Carnival and then two starts back against the older sprinters on day one of The Championships at Randwick when he beat Redzel in the $2.5m Darley T J Smith Stakes over the same course and distance as The Everest.
Trainer Gerald Ryan said after Trapeze Artist’s All Aged Stakes win that he would love to prepare him for The Everest but was uncertain if the colt was to race on or be sent to stud, but Vieira confirmed today that a Spring Carnival campaign lies ahead.
“It’s a once of a lifetime opportunity, I don’t think I’ll get another horse like this,’’ Vieira told Racing New South Wales News Desk.
“I don’t know how good he is and now we get the upside of racing the horse in the Everest and overseas.
“I don’t want to have any regrets, I don’t want to wonder.’’
“Gerald kept telling me after I twisted his arm to go to the TJ he’d be a great Everest horse.’’
“I think beating Redzel helped, if he’d been beaten I might have had a different thought.
“He showed me he wants to race and that he’s not ready to get to the barn. I think the horse is begging to keep going, every time I think of retiring him he wins a Group 1.’’
Trapeze Artist has overtaken last year’s winner Redzel at the top of the market order for the 2018 The Everest and is the $4.50 favourite with Ladbrokes.com.au.
The Peter and Paul Snowden trained Redzel is now the second pick at $5 ahead of the Darren Weir trained Japanese import Ittetsu at $6 and the Ben Smith trained In Her Time at $9.
Early betting for the 2018 The Everest at Ladbrokes.com.au: $4.50 Trapeze Artist, $5 Redzel, $6 Ittetsu, $9 In Her Time, $13 Kementari, Merchant Navy, $15 Brave Smash, Happy Clapper, $17 Vega Magic, Viddora, $21 Chautauqua, Menari, Mature Strip, $26 Hot King Prawn, Redkirk Warrior, Winx, $31 Impending, $41 or better the rest.
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