Jockey's surprise take on cruel $15m handicap

Nature Strip jockey James McDonald was rapt to gully the widest barrier for the richest contention connected turf - Saturday's $15 cardinal The Everest.

Nature Strip is expected to leap arsenic the odds-on favourite erstwhile the sixth variation of Sydney's biggest equine contention jumps astatine Royal Randwick.

Punters were momentarily taken aback erstwhile the world's champion sprinter drew obstruction 12 - the widest gross of the tract - astatine Tuesday's draw.

READ MORE: 'Filthy' Trbojevic bluff 'spooks' Sea Eagles

READ MORE: 'Fractures each implicit the place' earlier Manly imploded

READ MORE: Schumacher's nephew earnestly injured successful crash

Typically successful racing, barriers person to the obstruction are much accidental of winning, fixed the equine has little crushed to screen and does not person to determination crossed the remainder of the tract to find the champion track.

Nature Strip won The Everest successful 2021. (Getty)

But for apical Kiwi jockey McDonald - who won this contention connected Nature Strip past twelvemonth - helium could not person asked for a amended draw.

"It's a superb draw, I couldn't beryllium happier," McDonald said.

"It volition mean (Nature Strip) is happy, helium likes the country retired there. With Nature Strip I would alternatively (barrier) 12 than 1 oregon two.

"It gives him clip to find his bushed and erstwhile helium does that we person seen what helium tin do."

Nature Strip jumped from gross 10 successful past year's Everest and rapidly crossed the tract to find the lead, past held disconnected a precocious swoop from Masked Crusader to triumph by a nose.

Here's everything you request to cognize astir the 2022 Everest.

Nature Strip ready for Everest defence

WHEN AND WHERE IS IT?

The Everest volition beryllium tally connected Saturday astatine Royal Randwick, successful eastbound Sydney.

The contention is acceptable to leap astatine 4.15pm.

The archetypal of the 10 races astatine Randwick connected Saturday volition leap astatine 12.30pm.

See beneath for the afloat contention card.

HOW MUCH DO THEY WIN?

The full prizemoney excavation for The Everest this twelvemonth is $15 million.

The victor pockets $6.2m, 2nd gets $2.3m, 3rd gets $1.4m, 4th $1m, 5th $750,000, sixth $500,000, and the remainder of the tract get $450,000 each.

The winnings for an idiosyncratic equine are divided betwixt the owners, the trainer, and the jockey.

When the contention was archetypal tally successful 2017 the full prizemoney was $10 million. It was accrued to $13m the pursuing year, past $14m successful 2019, earlier hitting the $15m people wherever it remains.

Nature Strip takes retired $15 cardinal Everest

The Everest is the richest turf contention successful the world.

The Everest is alternatively unsocial successful that the 12 slots are sold for $600,000 each, and past the proprietor of each slot nominates a equine to capable their gate. Slots tin besides beryllium sold and traded.

This differs from astir equine races successful which horses are simply nominated for an lawsuit by owners and trainer, and past allocated handicap weights based connected their quality and form.

FULL 2022 EVEREST FIELD

1. NATURE STRIP (58.5kg, obstruction 12, jockey James McDonald)

2. EDUARDO (58.5kg, obstruction 9, jockey Nash Rawiller)

3. LOST AND RUNNING (58.5kg, obstruction 7, jockey Hugh Bowman)

4. MASKED CRUSADER (58.5kg, obstruction 10, jockey William Pike)

5. MAZU (58.5kg, obstruction 11, jockey Sam Clipperton)

6. PRIVATE EYE (58.5kg, obstruction 3, jockey Brenton Avdulla)

7. OVERPASS (58.5kg, obstruction 6, jockey Rachel King)

8. INGRATIATING (58.5kg, obstruction 4, jockey Glyn Schofield)

9. JOYFUL FORTUNE (58.5kg, obstruction 1, jockey Tom Sherry)

10. SHADES OF ROSE (56.5kg, obstruction 8, jockey Kerrin McEvoy)

11. JACQUINOT (53kg, obstruction 2, jockey Damian Lane)

12. GIGA KICK (53kg, obstruction 5, jockey Craig Williams)

EMERGENCIES: 13 Forbidden Love, 14 Apache Chase, 15 Kementari, 16 In The Congo

Australian equine wins astatine Royal Ascot

THE ODDS

Via Bet365, close astatine clip of publishing

$2 Nature Strip

$11 Eduardo

$7 Lost And Running

$11 Jacquinot

$11 Masked Crusader

$13 Private Eye

$19 Mazu

$23 Giga Kick

$51 Shades Of Rose

$51 Ingratiating

$61 Overpass

$71 Joyful Fortune

$101 Kementari (emergency)

$101 Forbidden Love (emergency)

$101 In The Congo (emergency)

$201 Apache Chase (emergency)

Crowds stitchery for the Everest contention time astatine Royal Randwick Racecourse connected October 16, 2021 successful Sydney, Australia. The Everest contention time is the largest lawsuit to beryllium held since the lifting of NSW lockdown restrictions connected 11 October. (Getty)

THE WEATHER

While Sydney has copped its just stock of rainfall successful the past fortnight, Saturday is forecast to beryllium sunny and a apical of 20 degrees.

On Thursday evening the Randwick way was rated a dense 8.

Last Saturday's contention gathering astatine Randwick was abandoned owed to rain.

If the contention paper is abandoned, the remaining races volition beryllium rescheduled to tally different day, astir apt Monday.

PAST WINNERS

2021 - Nature Strip (James McDonald)

2020 - Classique Legend (Kerrin McEvoy)

2019 - Yes Yes Yes (Glen Boss)

2018 - Redzel (Kerrin McEvoy)

2017 - Redzel (Kerrin McEvoy)

FULL RANDWICK CARD

Race 1: 12.30pm, 1400m Bisley Workwear Reginald Allen

Race 2: 1.05pm, 1600m Big Dance Wild Card

Race 3: 1.40pm, 1800m New Tab App Craven Plate

Race 4: 2.15pm, 2600m The Star St Leger Stakes

Race 5: 2.50pm, 1200m The Kosciuszko

Race 6: 3.25pm, 1200m Fujitsu General Sydney Stakes

Race 7: 4.15pm, 1200m The Tab Everest

Race 8: 4.50pm, 1300m Silver Eagle

Race 9: 5.30pm, 1500m Five Diamonds Prelude

Race 10: 6.10pm, 1600m Furphy Angst Stakes

For a regular dose of the champion of the breaking quality and exclusive contented from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!

A look backmost astatine each Melbourne Cup victor since 2000