Stradbroke Handicap winner Santa Ana Lane is still at double figure odds for the 2018 $13m The Everest (1200m) at Randwick during the Sydney Spring Carnival despite claiming a third Group 1 trophy at Doomben last Saturday.
Trainer Anthony Freedman is keen for Santa Ana Lane, above in blue and gold colours, to gain a slot in The Everest at Randwick. Photo by Jenny Barnes.
The Anthony Freedman trained Santa Ana Lane proved too strong for his opposition when he surged clear in the straight to win the Group 1 $1.5m Stradbroke Handicap (1350m) from Super Cash and Champagne Cuddles.
Santa Ana Lane made it back to back Group 1 wins after coming off a win in the Group 1 $1m Darley Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville on May 19 and was also a Group 1 winner during the 2017 Melbourne Spring Carnival with his victory in the Group 1 $500,000 Keno Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.
The three times Group 1 winning five year old is marked at $26 for The Everest at Ladbrokes.com.au and Freedman is hoping that one of the slot holders will snap him up for the world’s richest sprint.
“He may get a shot at The Everest. We’ve signalled our interest there, so we’ll see how that comes about,” Freedman told RSN 927’s Correct Weight on Sunday.
If he misses out on gaining a slot in The Everest, Freedman is keen to try for back to back wins in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.
“I guess with three Group 1s he’s going to be right up in the weights in the handicaps,” Freedman said.
“We were thinking of having another look at the Sir Rupert Clarke, which we may well do.
Santa Ana Lane will have a couple of weeks off in the Queensland sunshine before starting his Spring Carnival preparation.
“He’ll spell up here (Queensland), but he’ll only have a couple of weeks off,” Freedman.
“He’s a big gross horse who gets very fat very quickly, so he won’t have too long off.
“We’ll keep him pretty active, then we’ll get him back home and if we do get a shot at The Everest, he’ll have one, maybe two, runs leading into that.”
There are still eight slots out of the twelve available for The Everest with the first four already filled by Brave Smash (Chris Waller Racing), Trapeze Artist (Aquis), In Her Time (TAB) and Redzel (Yulong Investments).
Early betting for the 2018 The Everest at Ladbrokes.com.au: $5 Trapeze Artist, $6 Redzel, $11 In Her Time, Kementari, $15 Vega Magic, Brave Smash, $17 Harry Angel, $21 English, Merchant Navy, $26 Chautauqua, Estijaab, Hot King Prawn, Lady Aurelia, Le Romain, Menari, Redkirk Warrior, Santa Ana Lane, Shoals, Viddora, $26 or better the rest.
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