A super line-up of 12 sprinters face off for Australian racing’s biggest prize – the $15 million The Everest (1200m) – on Saturday and below are our insider tips and betting selections on the Royal Randwick feature.

Masked Crusader looks a winning chance in Saturday’s $15 million The Everest race. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

The fifth edition of The Everest race dominates the action in Sydney this weekend and we’ve got a Heavy-rated track for the world’s richest turf race in 2021.

Nature Strip is back for a third shot at the title and is two-from-two on Heavy going.

Chris Waller’s champion sprinter was excellent winning the Concorde first-up before just going down to Eduardo in The Shorts last time out.

The stable has kept him fresh since and at his best with conditions to suit, Nature Strip is potentially a hard to beat favourite sitting top of The Everest odds at $3.80 through Ladbrokes.com.au.

Reigning The Everest champion Classique Legend is first-up looking to be the first winner to do so without a lead-up run and is the $5 second elect to do so with three-time The Everest winning hoop Kerrin McEvoy in the saddle again.

The market mover is Nature Strip’s last-start conqueror Eduardo in from $8 to $6 to continue his strong Heavy track form that includes the big 3.5 length Group 1 The Galaxy (1100m) win at Rosehill earlier in the year.

In a tight market the other single-figure fancy is last year’s third placegetter Gytrash ($8 into $6.50) drawn the rails coming off a first-up run for third in The Shorts without being tested drawn the rails then and again here.

So, will the favourites salute? Or is there an upset The Everest result pending from the likes of the drifting Premiere Stakes winner Masked Crusader ($10) or the forgotten Peter & Paul Snowden-trained Moir Stakes champ Wild Ruler ($34)?

Read on for our exclusive The Everest 2021 betting tips and exotic selections before heading to Ladbrokes.com.au for the weekend’s top racing odds and offers.

The Favourite: #1 Nature Strip ($3.80 at time of publish) – BET NOW

Deserves his spot at the top of the markets now we’re into Heavy going for The Everest. Recent form reads 1-2-1-1-2 including his successful TJ Smith Stakes title defence at this track/distance in the autumn. Barrier 10 is ideal with the wet conditions, James McDonald knows the horse well and he’s a champion sprinter. Out to atone for getting run down in The Shorts, but kept fresh and on his best day he wins. He was so good with the big weight defeating subsequent Moir Stakes winner Wild Ruler by that big margin in the Concorde and is very well placed here.

The Danger: #6 Masked Crusader ($10 at time of publish) – BET NOW

Easing in the markets now we’ve got the confirmation of a Heavy track, but don’t discount the Hawkes Racing-trained galloper yet! He was solid winning the Group 2 Premiere Stakes at the track/distance last time out and ran second (albeit two lengths beaten) behind Nature Strip in the TJ Smith on a Slow (6) in the autumn. He’s only had one on really wet going when runner-up just a neck off Varda last August on a Heavy (10) here at Rosehill with 55kg. Better on firm ground, but think he’ll be finishing strongly regardless from the back and he’s at an attractive price.

The Value: #12 Home Affairs ($13 at time of publish) – BET NOW

Chris Waller won the 2019 The Everest with a three-year-old (Yes Yes Yes) and looks a genuine chance at doing it again this year in an upset with his Silver Slipper winner Home Affairs. The I Am Invincible colt was excellent fresh winning the Listed Heritage Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill with 59kg. Right down in the weights and fit second-up. That form was franked by Paulele winning the Roman Consul, but the question is the Heavy track that he is yet to see. Does he handle it? Can he measure up? We’ll find out soon enough!

Click here for the latest The Everest 2021 odds courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au ahead of Randwick Race 7 at 4:15pm (AEDT) on Saturday.