In just its seventh year, The Everest has become a revered sprinting spectacle in the thoroughbred racing world.
It helps that the winner comes home with prize money of NZ $21.3 million. Now New Zealand has a genuine chance of taking the largest chunk of that stake – with the Waikato Stud-bred and co-owned race favourite I Wish I Win.
"We've had a lot of good horses in a lot of good races over the years, but this obviously stands out on its own," Waikato Stud principal Mark Chittick told 1News.
"It’s been running a few years now and it is the top of the mountain – it’s unbelievable.
"But to experience it first hand, the lead-up has been two or three months. It's just incredible to be heading into this incredible occasion in our industry."
The Everest is a unique race in this part of the world. The slot race was borne through the brains of Racing New South Wales boss Peter V’Landys.
Slots can be bought for more than $600,000 and those slot holders either race their own horse, or lease one from elsewhere. In this case, Trackside Media has the slot and has kept it very Kiwi, doing a deal with Waikato Stud and the gelding’s trainer and co-owner Peter Moody.
It's yet to receive black type (group) status but, if many in racing circles are to be believed, that seems to be just a matter of time. And while I Wish I Win has the prestigious TJ Smith Stakes and $10 million Golden Eagle to his name, this win would rank right up there for his connections.
"This is the biggest challenge we've ever experienced with a racehorse. It's all about the pure race and the pure racehorse. For him to have made his way there from humble beginnings from here in the Waikato, it just means everything," Chittick said.
Wish – who races in the famous white, green and blue colours – was fathered by the great stallion Savabeel, and is one of the leading sprinters in the world.
He's also fast becoming one of Chittick's favourites.
"We've raced some good horses that have won all throughout Australasia and the world but this guy here, to be racing in that echelon against the best sprinters in the world – yeah, he's the best racehorse we've had," he said.
The fact he is even a racehorse is a story in itself. Born with limb deformities in his left foreleg, he was put in a paddock with his mare, away from the other foals.
"We just have a New Zealand farming attitude to the whole operation here and not putting anything under too much pressure and raising them as naturally as we possibly can and let him find his way," Chittick said.
Farm operations manager Jaimee Underwood, who was there from the start, said they gave him plenty of time to just let him do his own thing.
"Giving him some time – the farrier, the vets – everyone’s involved," Underwood said.
"He was put behind a hedge, basically just nursed along as a foal, very closely monitored. That’s just how it is, he’s always just had those quirks about him and that’s never stopped him."
She said his brother, who was sold for $1.4 million at the Karaka Yearling Sales the year before, was "who everyone thinks is going to be the superstar and unfortunately he wasn’t".
"So to have the younger brother, who we all thought ‘what are we going to do here?’, to come out and be an absolute champion is a huge credit to everyone here."
All of which makes the fact he’s got to this point, racing at Royal Randwick in The Everest, even more special.
Chittick called Wish "a real character, but he had that will to live, he's got that will to win".
"But to race a horse, to achieve what he's achieved, obviously they have a special place with you and everybody here in the operation, but for him to be born the way he's born and gone on to do what he's done, he's once in a lifetime experience."
Chittick is heading to Sydney today for the all-important barrier draw. He said anything outside of barrier four would be ideal for the horse who likes to get back in the run and storm home over the top of his rivals.
And if that was to happen, the party may go on for a few days.
"We've had a lot of celebrations in the past. I'm sure if we get the best result on Saturday, this will be one of the biggest and I'm sure we'll still be going by the time I get home," he said.
"I’ll try and get to see the All Blacks and Ireland Rugby World Cup quarter-final. I don't know whether we would've been to sleep or not though."
SHARE ME