The veteran in this year’s The Everest 2022 field, Eduardo, is the early market mover with money coming for Joe Pride’s nine-year-old to win the $15 million feature at this third attempt.

Money is coming in The Everest 2022 betting for nine-year-old Eduardo. Photo: Steve Hart.

Last Sydney Spring Racing Carnival the Chris Waller-trained Nature Strip won the world’s richest turf race when saddled-up in The Everest at Royal Randwick for the third time.

Nature Strip returns an international Group 1 winner and $19 million earner this weekend chasing back-to-back victories to join Redzel (2017, 2018) ad dual The Everest champions.

He is back into odds-on territory in The Everest betting at $1.90 through Ladbrokes.com.au after a first-up win back in Australia in the Group 2 The Shorts (1100m) on September 17.

Host gelding Eduardo meanwhile will look to emulate Nature Strip by winning this year’s The Everest race following two previous starts in the buy-in event.

He was a disappointing second last when 11^th to Classique Legend in 2020 before flashing home for an improved third only a half-length beaten in last year’s The Everest trifecta.

Since then the classy chestnut has been in outstanding form including a $1 million Winners Stakes win last spring.

His other subsequent turf triumphs have come in the Group 2 Challenge Stakes (1000m) on a Heavy (9) Randwick track back in March, and he was a first-up champion at the same track and distance in the mud on September 3 in the Group 3 Concorde Stakes.

Eduardo was last seen running fourth in a tight The Shorts finish and has been backed in from $13 to $11 in The Everest odds at Ladbrokes.com.au to turn the tables on Nature Strip.

Lost And Running remains steady in the markets at $7 on the back of his good Group 2 Premiere Stakes victory last time out, while three-year-old Golden Rose winner Jacquinot is at the same quote having eased out from $9.50 earlier in the week.

Masked Crusader is the other danger at $12 for Team Hawkes, William Pike partnering last year’s runner-up.

With the rain easing in Sydney and the track firming ahead of The Everest Day, the chances of Masked Crusader going one better than 12 months ago are also improving as he looks for his first win since the 2021 Premiere Stakes.

Eduardo’s stablemate Private Eye is at $14 to win second-up in an upset after his nice return when carrying 60kg to a two-length win at Flemington down the straight in the Group 2 Gilgai Stakes (1200m).

Team Snowden are after their third The Everest trophy and have Mazu in the mix at an easing quote of $17.

The gun wet tracker would prefer the rain to stick around as he has won four from five on Heavy going and was good last start in when second in the Premiere Stakes.

A four-year-old son of Maurice, Mazu won five on the bounce last time in including Brisbane’s Group 1 Doomben 10,000 and represents potential value in The Everest tipping this season.

The only other contender not at a blowout price is the second three-year-old in the mix, Giga Kick ($21), for Mornington trainer Clayton Douglas.

The undefeated son of Scissor Kick is up notably in grade, but has done nothing wrong since his big four length win on debut in February.

He took his record up to four-from-form last time out just hanging on to salute in the Group 2 Danehill Stakes with 58.5kg at headquarters and comes back to 53kg in his weight-for-age test here.

The Everest 2022 runs at 4:15pm (AEDT) as Race 7 on the bumper 10-race Randwick card and full markets are available here.