Bivouac is proven at the top level and now the Godolphin galloper is out to earn his slot in The Everest through Saturdayâs The Shorts at Randwick.
Brilliant sprinter Bivouac is Godolphinâs first choice for their slot in the $15 million The TAB Everest â but donât forget about Trekking.
This was how trainer James Cummings summed the stable’s likely starters in the world’s richest turf race, run at Royal Randwick on October 17.
“Bivouac is our horse,’’ Cummings said when asked which sprinter the stable was considering for Godolphin’s Everest slot.
“We will put him in when we have to put him in. Everything revolves around him at this stage.’’
Bivouac resumes in The Shorts at Royal Randwick on Saturday and Cummings said if the four-year-old runs up to expectations, he could go straight to The Everest or have another lead-up run in the Group 2 $500,000 Premiere Stakes (1200m) on Epsom Day, October 3.
As Cummings pointed out, Bivouac has won at Group 1 level second-up from a spell in the Newmarket Handicap earlier this year but the sprinter won his other major, the Golden Rose, at the third run of his spring campaign.
“We have the option of giving him another run in the Premiere if we feel he needs it before The Everest,’’ he said. “We will get through this weekend, take stock and decide how he is placed to advance. I don’t think it needs to be any more complicated than that.’’
Hugh Bowman riding Bivouac in his trial win at Randwick recently. Picture: Mark Evans/Getty ImagesSource:Getty Images
Trekking is a dual Group 1 winner of more than $3.5 million prizemoney. He did run third in The Everest last year and gunned down Gytrash in The Goodwood back in May.
Cummings revealed he is leaning to starting Trekking first-up in the Group 1 $1 million Moir Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley on September 25.
“I think I will go to the Moir with Trekking,’’ he said. “This is a weight-for-age Group 1 and Trekking is a solid weight-for-age performer.
“He ran in the Moir Stakes last year and was a bit unlucky to be beaten only one-and-a-half lengths behind Nature Strip. “Trekking then won the Schillaci Stakes before his third in The Everest.’’
Cummings has trained two Everest placegetters – he also had Osborne Bulls run third in 2018 – and said this year’s race is shaping as “very interesting”.
“They are a different group of sprinters this year and there will be a few three-year-olds in it so it is going to be good for the race,’’ the Godolphin trainer said.
“Just as they do in Europe when they run the good three-year-olds in the big weight-for-age races, these young horses taking on the older horses to find out how good they are makes for some great clashes.’’
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