The Chris Waller-trained Nature Strip has shot back up to the top of the markets for Saturday’s The Everest 2020 race after a gun barrier five draw for the world’s richest turf race.

Nature Strip has regained favouritism in the 2020 The Everest betting for Saturday. Photo: Steve Hart.

A star-studded field of 12 sprinters do battle in the $15 million The Everest (1200m) at Royal Randwick on the weekend and the top three in betting all fared well in Tuesday night’s barrier draw.

Nature Strip, Classique Legend and Gytrash are tightly matched in the latest The Everest odds online and will jump alongside each other in the weight-for-age feature from barriers five – seven.

Both Nature Strip and Les Bridge’s ultra-consistent grey Classique Legend return for the fourth edition of The Everest having contested last year’s race finishing fourth and sixth respectively behind Waller’s 2019 champion Yes Yes Yes.

Despite two disappointing runs this prep, Nicconi six-year-old Nature Strip for last year’s winning trainer Waller has regained top spot in The Everest odds at $4.20 through Ladbrokes.com.au.

He has firmed in from $6 pre-The Everest barrier draw and is the big market mover out to atone for his last start fourth in the Group 2 Premiere Stakes (1200m).

Classique Legend ($4.40) will be ridden by dual The Everest winning hoop Kerrin McEvoy who took out the opening two editions of the event aboard Redzel (2017, 2018).

Also presenting fit third-up, the five-year-old son of Not A Single Doubt has an excellent Randwick strike-rate (7:3-2-1).

First-up he won the Group 2 The Shorts (1100m) before his second to the shock winner Libertini in the Premiere Stakes at the same track and distance as The Everest when two lengths beaten on October 3.

Kept fresh since his Group 3 Concorde Stakes success over Nature Strip is then the $6 third elect Gytrash for Adelaide’s Gordon Richards.

The gelding has run top two in his four latest runs including finishing second to fellow The Everest hopeful Trekking in Morphetville’s Group 1 The Goodwood (1200m) back in May.

The big drifter meanwhile suffering an early blow drawing the outside alley in The Everest field is Anthony Cummings’ Premiere Stakes winning mare Libertini.

She blew her rivals away in a surprise first-up win to secure her slot in Saturday’s event but has eased out to $7.50 with work to do from barrier 12 of 12.

Jockey Glen Boss rode then three-year-old Yes Yes Yes to victory last spring and returns looking to become the second dual The Everest winning hoop aboard the James Cummings-trained Bivouac.

Godolphin’s Exceed And Excel stallion looks value at a current quote of $18, the Newmarket Handicap winner racing second-up off a third to Classique Legend in The Shorts only 1.2 lengths beaten.

Bivouac has a strong second-up record (3:2-1-0), has won a subsequent Warwick Farm trial and could be a surprise top three runner.

The Royal Blue brigade are also represented in the race by the aforementioned Trekking, third in last year’s race and paying $16 to improve on that 12 months’ on from gate four with Joshua Parr to ride.

Click here for the latest The Everest 2020 odds courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.

2020 The Everest Field & Barrier Draw

*Table Credit: Racing Australia.