Te Akau Racing will stick to its original plan and remain in Victoria with Imperatriz, but another Group 2-winning mare from Saturday has been engaged for The Everest.
Sheraco Stakes winner Sunshine In Paris will represent Queensland stud farm Aquis in the $20 million The Everest at Randwick on October 14.
The daughter of Invader, who stands at Aquis, took her record to four wins from six starts with victory over Group 1 winner Espiona in the 1200m Sheraco Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday.
It was her first start since winning the Group 1 Surround Stakes (1400m) at Randwick in February, after which she was sold for $3.9 million at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.
Trainer Annabel Neasham plans to head straight to 1200m The Everest with the four-year-old, who now races in John Camilleri’s Fairway Thoroughbreds colours.
“I think she’s good enough,” Neasham said when asked about her The Everest credentials.
“She’s the sort of filly that goes quite well fresh so she could just keep bubbling along until an Everest.”
One horse Sunshine In Paris is unlikely to have to contend with at Randwick is Imperatriz, who rocketed to the third line of betting on The Everest after her track-record win in Saturday’s Group 2 McEwen Stakes (1000m) at The Valley.
But co-trainer Mark Walker said on Monday morning that Te Akau Racing was keen to stick with the original plan with the daughter of I Am Invincible and remain in Victoria.
Her next two starts will be in Group 1s at The Valley, in the Moir Stakes (1000m) on September 30 and Manikato Stakes (1200m) on October 28, before a possible start in the $3 million Group 1 Champions Sprint on November 11.
“We’re going to stick to our plan,” Walker told RSN927.
“We think she’s happy at Cranbourne and we just think she’s a little bit better left-handed.
“It’s hard to say with her record being so good right-handed, but we do believe that’s she’s a little bit better left-handed and she’s just so happy where she is that we’re just going to stay in Melbourne.”
Sunshine In Paris is the fifth horse locked in for this year’s The Everest, joining defending champion Giga Kick (representing James Harron), I Wish I Win (Trackside Media), Mazu (The Star & Arrowfield) and Think About It (Newgate/GPI).