2026 The Everest Day Preview

There’s a case to be made for a few of them in the Big Dance Wild Card and VIVY AIR (10) is one that stood out to me at a nice price.

While yet to place in two runs back this time, Vivy Air has worked home well to hit the line on both occasions, including the Epsom last time out.

Fitter third-up, sticking to the mile and dropping substantially in trip, she gets the services of James McDonald this week and can return to winning form.

LOW KEY (11) is third up into the Reginald Allen Quality.

Having only just been denied in a genuinely run race at Randwick-Kensington when resuming last month, Low Key stepped out to 1400m for the first time out Rosehill second up and led throughout to win by just over a head.

Fitter third-up, she retains the services of one of the country’s best front-running riders, Tim Clark.

POLYMNIA (10) gets another nice chance to win third up in the Angst Stakes on The Everest Day.

Polymnia doesn’t win out of turn, but she’s also rarely far away, and after filling the minors of the Group 3 Tibbie Stakes at Newcastle when resuming, she was only denied half a length by Unleeshing back here at Randwick last time out.

She meets that horse substantially better at the weights this week and retains the services of Zac Lloyd.

NEWLOOK (12) looks to get ideal conditions in Saturday’s St Leger.

While yet to win in three runs back from a break, Newlook has undoubtedly been on the improve and hit the line to finish fourth in the Group 3 Bart Cummings down at Flemington last time out, performing well on a heavy track in the process.

Looking further back to his autumn prep this year, the son of New Bay won the Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes over this route most notably, beating home Juja Kibo who we last saw winning The Metropolitan here a fortnight ago.

The booking of Nash Rawiller is a bonus, and I am keen to be with the horse on an each way basis.

This is arguably the most open edition of The Kosciuszko that we’ve been treated to in recent years and GALLANT STAR (3) rates as a key winning chance at odds after drawing perfectly.

Having finished second in this race last year, the Zoustar gelding has picked off some nice races throughout his career and importantly, has trialled up extremely well ahead of this preparation.

He flies fresh and looks to be one of the better each way contenders on the program, in my opinion.

OVERPASS (19) is The Everest’s first emergency but goes on top of my Sydney Stakes selections should he not gain a start in the feature.

Overpass has proven to be one of the toughest horses in Australia for several years now, picking off a couple of Group 1 feature races alongside several other big and lucrative contests.

His fresh record is nothing short of outstanding, and while he will need some early luck to find the lead from a wide draw, he’ll be extremely hard to run down if he does manage to take it up.

The Everest is always an intriguing affair as the world’s best sprinters assemble for what is the world’s richest race run on turf.

KA YING RISING (11) has understandably maintained odds-on favouritism for several months in The Everest betting, but he has drifted slightly to $1.50 (at publish) after drawing gate 11. That being said, he’s still the best sprinter in the world and will take an absolute power of beating again.

My approach to The Everest betting this year will be to have a boxed trifecta and hope one of my other selections; TEMPTED (1), JOLIESTAR (5) or NINJA (3), knocks off Ka Ying Rising.

Tempted is the clear danger, having finishing second to Ka Ying Rising in last year’s Everest and going to a new level this year, winning all five starts so far in 2016. She’s drawn barrier 1 but with even luck in the run, will be in the finish again.

Joliestar has maintained her position as one of Australia’s best sprinters for a couple of years now. She added the Canterbury Stakes and TJ Smith Stakes to her CV in the autumn, the latter at this track and trip, while the booking of James McDonald obviously boosts her claims further as well.

Ninja is something of an unknown quantity in this Everest field, but he boasts several good feature races victories of his own, including the Missile Stakes at this track and distance this time in, while his work alongside Ka Ying Rising earlier this month was excellent.

SKYHOOK (5) takes outstanding field into the Silver Eagle.

Having ended his last preparation with some strong performances for victory in black type company, Skyhook has undoubtedly gone to another level this time in, winning both the Theo Marks Stakes and the Shannon Stakes easily.

With one eye on the Golden Eagle in a fortnight, he’s drawn ideally and can stamp himself as one of Sheza Alibi’s major obstacles by winning again.

Just six horses have accepted into the King Charles III Stakes field, but it still looms as one of the most highly anticipated races of the Sydney Spring Carnival.

AUTUMN GLOW (4) has opened our short-priced favourite and looks very hard to beat again, having suffered defeat only once in 14 career starts and recorded two excellent wins this time in.

I’m going to select her as my winner in an exacta and complete my ticket with CEOLWULF (1) finishing second.

A multiple Group 1 winner in his own right, Ceolwulf has turned in three excellent performances since resuming this time and hit the line under topweight to finish second in an Epsom Handicap last time out.

I’m keen to stick with CROSS TASMAN (14) third up in the last on The Everest Day 2026.

Cross Tasman ended a sharp preparation last time with consecutive second placings in races not dissimilar to this one, while he’s picked up where he left off by finishing second at each of his first two runs back this time, running into some classy opposition in the process.

Fitter third-up, he’s proven on both soft and heavy going and will be tough to toss.