Trainer Joe Pride is hopeful that multiple Group 1 winner Terravista will gain a position in the $10 million The Everest field, set to run at Royal Randwick on October 14th.
Joe Pride is hoping to secure a spot in The Everest field for stable star Terravista. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos
Terravista has been a strong and largely consistent performer throughout his entire racing career so far and will resume in spring with a commendable race record of eleven wins and six minors, through only twenty-seven competitive appearances.
A first-up winner of the Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (1000m) in February this year, Pride told AAP that he will prepare the Captain Rio gelding as though he will make The Everest field and is hopeful of securing a slot for the lightly-raced veteran.
“I’m keen to get him in,” Pride said.
“We know how good he is and he’s terrific first-up so that’s the plan and he’ll be ready to go.
“He will have a sequence of trials, most likely three, starting on the 25th of August to have him primed for the Everest.
“I’d love him to be there. I’m confident he can beat any other sprinter on his day.
“He is only lightly raced for an eight-year-old. He has only had 27 starts and we saw how he won the Lightning first-up in the autumn.
“They spruiked the good three-year-olds but he blew them away.”
Terravista has been a standout performer for Pride since making his debut in the autumn of 2013, but undoubtedly stepped up in class and ability throughout a glittering 2014 campaign which heralded wins in the Group 3 Southern Cross Stakes (1200m) and Group 3 Liverpool City Cup (1300m) in autumn.
Resuming in spring for consecutive wins in the Group 3 Show County Quality (1200m) and Group 2 The Shorts (1100m), Terravista was luckless in transit before finishing fifth in the Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m), but responded with an impressive win in the Group 1 Darley Classic (1200m).
Terravista failed to fire in two starts following his win in the Lightning Stakes this year, but his first-up ability means that he cannot be written off, should he gain a start in The Everest 2017.
Terravista is currently available at 2017 The Everest odds of $26 with leading online bookie Ladbrokes.com.au.
