Australia’s 2022 Royal Ascot winner Nature Strip dominates the betting and discussions ahead of Saturday’s (15 October) sixth edition of The Everest (1200m), the world’s richest race on turf with total prize money of AU$15 million (approx. HK$74 million).

The Chris Waller trained eight-year-old has won 22 races, including last year’s The Everest, and is the world’s top-rated sprinter on the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse rankings after his G1 King’s Stand Stakes (1000m) win in England and success in the G2 The Shorts (1100m) on his return home.

Victory would see the evergreen sprinter surpass the USA’s Arrogate as the second highest money winner in world racing but would leave him just shy of Winx’s number one slot with earnings of AU$26.4 million (approx. HK$129.7 million).

With the prospect of a rain affected track (currently rated a heavy 8), drawing barrier 12 of 12 may not be a complication for Australia’s reigning Horse of the Year.

Nature Strip led from barrier 10 to win last year and finished fourth from gate 12 when beaten by nearly one and a half lengths in record time on firm ground in the 2019 edition.

“He’s ticking along nicely and just seems to get better with age,” said Waller, who is the most successful active trainer in Australia with 140 Group 1 winners.

Nature Strip will be ridden by in-form James McDonald who has partnered the horse in his past five wins, including the 2021 The Everest, and who yesterday (12 October) took his tally of Group 1 wins to over 70 with success on Madame Pommery at Caulfield.

McDonald’s tally of top-flight wins at just 30 years of age is remarkable. Damien Oliver, Australia’s most successful jockey with 127 Group 1 wins, had a tally of 57 by his 30th birthday.

G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) nominee Eduardo is the only one of Nature Strip’s rivals on Saturday to have beaten the champion but the overall score is 7-4 in the latter’s favour and Nature Strip has finished ahead of Eduardo in each of their four clashes over Saturday’s course and distance.

Nature Strip was voted Australian Horse of the Year and Sprinter of the Year for 2021/22, winning the awards for the second and third time respectively.

The Everest and the G1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) will both be simulcast in Hong Kong on Saturday (15 October).