Jockey Tye Angland has described long The Everest 2017 odds on his mount Fell Swoop in the $10 million feature race in Sydney on Saturday as “just a number”, confident the horse can run better than the blowout price suggests.
Fell Swoop is a $61 roughie in 2017 The Everest betting for the $10 million feature race at Royal Randwick Racecourse on Saturday. Photo: Daniel Costello.
Of the dozen confirmed runners and four emergencies for the inaugural $10 million The Everest (1200m) at Royal Randwick on the weekend, the Matthew Dale-trained Fell Swoop is only rated a $61 shot at taking out the $5.8 million The Everest winners’ cheque.
Angland knows what it is like to ride a double-figure winner to a big race win having done so most recently on $41 shot Trapeze Artist who won the Group 1 $1 million Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) by a runaway four lengths.
The in-form hoop was also back in the Group 1 winners’ stall in Sydney last Saturday partnering the David Payne-trained favourite Ace High ($3.10) to a narrow victory in the Spring Champion Stakes (2000m).
This weekend he is in the spotlight continuing his association on multiple Group 1 placegetter Fell Swoop who represents William Inglis and Son in The Everest field.
“It’s just a number. For me, it doesn’t matter what price they are. I go out and give them the best opportunity to win the race,” Angland told Racing NSW.
“If it’s twos-on or 100/1. That’s probably why you see I get a few longshots home.
“I go out there with the same frame of mind, to do a job for the owners and that’s to get the best out of the horse.”
Six-year-old Not A Single Doubt gelding Fell Swoop has been written off by the bookies, and hasn’t won a race since the Group 2 Victory Stakes (1200m) at Doomben in April last year.
He has come oh-so-close to elite success on a number of occasions since however including a 2016 Manikato Stakes second, 2016 Darley Classic third and more recently a third behind fellow The Everest horses Chautauqua (1st) and English (2nd) in the Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) on April 1 this autumn.
Fell Swoop comes off two unplaced Randwick runs this time in, which he is out to atone for third-up on the weekend.
The horse resumed on September 16 finishing two lengths back sixth behind the Peter & Paul Snowden-trained Redzel, another key chance in The Everest betting on Saturday, in the Group 2 The Shorts (1100m).
He then raced on Epsom Handicap Day a fortnight later and was three lengths back eighth to In Her Time in the Group 2 Premiere Stakes (1200m) with Angland in the saddle for both races.
The Premiere Stakes produces both the eye-catching runner-up English for Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott as well as the fast-finishing Team Hawkes-trained champion Chautauqua (6th) for the rematch in The Everest.
“There’s probably five lengths between all of them and then it comes down to who is going to have the best run and the most luck,” Angland said of The Everest runners.
“Matty [Dale] is obviously training him to peak third-up.
“His first-up run was full of merit, his second-up run he was a little dour, a little spring out of his legs, but I’m sure fitness will kick in and I’m sure we’ll see him at his best.
“Probably his two best career runs were in the TJ and he was wide and deep on one of those occasions so I wouldn’t take that as an excuse for his second-up run.”
Fell Swoop is drawn gate eight, while Angland remains wary of the well-drawn favourite She Will Reign who tops The Everest odds at $4.80 after the dual Group 1 winning filly came up trumps with barrier two.
“It’s going to be a high pressure race, very competitive but very exciting at the same time,” he said.
To lock in your The Everest 2017 tips at the right spring racing odds head to Ladbrokes.com.au today.
