The Everest Tips & Runner-by-Runner Preview

Mitchell Cashmore looks at the form of every runner in the 2022 The Everest.

He is the measuring stick, plain and simple. Only Eduardo has beaten him before, and nobody else has even come close. Widest barrier is interesting. I don’t think it’s a positive, but it’s not a negative either In my mind. He did win from wide out last year anyways. He should ping out of the gates, saunter over and storm home. Don’t think it will be by the 6 lengths that some people think he will, but he’ll win. He’s a champion. He wins this year and then goes around and wins again next year in my opinion, he’s a star, he’ll figure out a way to get it done.

Only horse in the field to have beaten Nature Strip and one of the few that I could really say that I am not surprised if he got up. He also has to overcome the wide barrier, but unless the horses on the inside completely block him off, he should be able to make his way over for the most part. He might not be able to outrun the steam train that Nature Strip is, but he should be in the finish you would think. 

The main danger to Nature Strip, just like the strip, he’s getting better with age. And he has a peach barrier in the 7th and will get the run of the race most likely. He’ll push forward and take a sit right off the pace and try to run Strip down in the straight, can he? I think he has an engine and can match it with the best of them, so he’s certainly in the running.

Always the bridesmaid, never the bride. He is a horse who never seems to get the right run. Misses the start, gets stuck in traffic, pushes the button too late, and he's always coming up short. Just last start he looked primed for a big run in this. But he’s gonna get right to the back with the 10th barrier. And with the traffic that I think will bunch up on the rail, not sure he’ll be able to storm all the way down to catch them, so no I don’t think Masked Crusader wins, but gee, if he did, it would be something very very special.

 

I was all over this bloke before the barrier draw. He’s the next big sprinter in Australia in my opinion, however, he still needs to grow and this will help him. I thought he was a solid Quinella choice before the barrier draw, but now that he’s all the way out in barrier 11 I think he gets crossed by nature strip first and doesn’t get the opportunity to match him. And he doesn’t have the engine to run him down, so maybe he just needs to come back and have another crack next year.

God, he’s a weird inclusion. He’s in The Everest, when he’s a horse that’s better suited to the mile. But you know what, I’ll say it. Contender. His finishing burst down the 400 will be fitter than some of the sprinters here. Each way is a chance I would say. Probably doesn’t win, but you would be silly to have him out of your exotics. 

Would be a fairytale story and a half if he was able to get up, but I think he has the same issue as Mazu, in that he’ll probably be better suited next year if he is able to get a slot. He was game when second the Nature Strip in The Shorts, which earned him his slot, but he was still 3 lengths off him and I couldn’t possibly see him turning the tables on him.

Won’t beat around the bush here, for such a high calibre stable that is Godolphin, boy do they muck up their Everest picks every year. Last year Trekking was not the go, Paulele was, this year Ingratiating was not the go, Paulele was, or Kemantari once they announced Paulele injured his eye. This bloke is now making up the numbers and his best hope is finishing Top 6 for prizemoney.

This guy is a bit of an enigma. He is the Hong Kong raider that comes from pretty much nowhere on the Australian side of things. One sizzling sprint down the Flemington straight is what got him his slot and I have to admit he was impressive. But not impressive enough to convince me he matches them here. There was a reason he was sent here, he couldn’t hang with them in Hong Kong, and if he can’t hang there, he can’t hang with The Strip. 

Only Mare to be going around and gee I do like her, I really do. I don’t think she wins, do not get me wrong, but she’ll be an Everest player for years to come I reckon. She has a bit of pace about her as well, so if she is able to kick up from the 8th barrier, slide across and park herself on the speed, I wouldn’t be shocked one bit if she’s finishing in the Top 4.

This is the sort of horse you can get excited about. Absolutely obliterated the clock in the Golden Rose and basically demanded a spot in the race and was awarded one. He has Incentivise vibes in the sense that he has just quietly risen through the ranks before bursting onto the big stage in impressive fashion. He’ll have to fly late, but one of the few that wouldn’t shock me.

Don’t make me laugh, couldn’t win if the race started now, and that is all I have to say about it.