Is Trapeze Artist the Smart Pick for the Everest?

Royal Randwick, venue of the Everest

Once Trapeze Artist’s slot in the Sydney Spring Carnival showpiece was purchased, he quickly shot up to the top of the odds and plenty of money has followed. His connections are clearly very confident, but the question is – should they be?

“He is in the hands of the master trainer of Snitzels (Gerald Ryan) and he’ll have him peaking on the big day. The trainer, owner and horse are all winners. Bert (Vieira) is adamant we’ll all be together for the big dance and we can’t wait.” Shane McGrath, CEO Aquis

“It’s a once of a lifetime opportunity, I don’t think I’ll get another horse like this.” Bert Vieira, owner.

The “big dance” in question here is the Everest, the world’s richest turf race.

Everest still trying to define its place in Australian racing

We have to remember that there is not a lot of precedence when it comes to the Everest. There are a few horses who will be coming back after last year’s running, including 2017 winner Redzel and runner up Vega Magic. Of course, Trapeze Artist had a comfortable 2 length victory over Redzel, as well as a handful of the other Everest contenders, at Randwick in April in the TJ Smith Stakes. That’s one of the main reasons he now tops the odds with bookmakers.

In truth, Redzel, an undoubtedly excellent horse, is still right on top of Trapeze Artist in the latest horse racing online bookmaker odds. 888sport, for example, has slotted Trapeze Artist in at 7/2, with Redzel given odds of 9/2. It shows that they still have a lot of respect for the horse trained by Peter and Paul Snowden. The odds get a bit murky after the two favourites. 10 horses have been declared for the Everest, with the likes of In Her Time (12/1), Shoals (14/1) and U.S Navy Flag (10/1) all looking interesting in 888sport’s market.

But, the nature of the Everest means that there is more interest in those not yet declared for the race. Of the 12 slots, two remain open having been purchased by Max Whitby and ATC. Kementari, who comes in at a price of 8/1, is being talked about as the top choice for Whitby, but there is arguably more sense in taking the highly-rated Pierata. There are others who Whitby sees as a potential race winner. The original plan was to go with the now-injured Menari, but Happy Clapper and Nature Strip are also possibilities.

Confidence surrounding Trapeze Artist should reassure punters

Punters are understandably wary when so many variables can impact a race, but it does seem that Trapeze Artist has everything going for him. The huge money involved in the Everest means that everyone wants to win it, but there is a sense that everyone connected with Trapeze Artist is ‘locked’ in for the Randwick showcase, which will be run on 13^th October.

Of course, it might be worth keeping an eye on those two slots to see what moves are made, after all Redzel entry last year was made through a deal with slot-holder James Harron. But, as we progress towards the business end of Carnival season, the case for the brilliant Trapeze Artist becomes ever more solid.

Category: Racing