In Her Time ran 1m-08.26s in winning the Sydney Stakes of 1200m, and Redzel 1m-08.36s in winning the $10m The TAB Everest also over 1200m on a Good 3 rated track.
That was last year’s The TAB Everest at Royal Randwick, and on Saturday 13 October In Her Time and Redzel meet head-to-head in the $13m The TAB Everest of 1200m as the battle of ‘colonial speed.’
In Her Time is coming off a highly credible first-up third to triple Group 1 winner Santa Ana Lane in the Premier Stakes 1200m at Randwick, with Redzel unable to quicken to finish fifth.
In the 12 months following her Sydney Stakes win on The TAB Everest Day, In her time won The Galaxy at Rosehill, defeating future Doomben 10,000 winner English, and was second in the Manikato Stakes, then third to Trapeze Artist and Redzel in the TJ Smith Stakes at The Championships.
Owned by Peter Brown and now trained by Kris Lees at Newcastle, In Her Time is a $12 chance for The Everest, with the TAB her slot holder. Bred by the Estate of the Late Denise Cobcroft she is a 6yo mare by Time Thief from the Zeditave mare Hell It’s Hot.
Hell It’s Hot descends to John Cobcroft’s former non-stud book mare Supaburn, and her dam Boothi. Along with another three of Boothi’s daughters, they were John Cobcroft’s five non-stud book mares to ever be entered in the Register of Non Stud Vehicle Mares, with their progeny allowed entry into the Stud Book by the International Stud Book Committee.
Time Thief himself was a $2m yearling, by Redoubt’s Choice, and is a multiple Group 1 placed winner. Now standing at Nadeson Stud in South Africa, he originally stood at Godolphin Kelvinside.
In being crowned the Australian Champion Sprinter of 2017-18, Redzel certainly reached the pinnacle of international racing with victory in the inaugural $10m The TAB Everest last October. Now with over $8.8m in prizemoney, he defends his Everest crown for his 30-odd Triple Crown Syndication owners and slot holders Yulong Investments.
Redzel continued his Everest success in next taking out the Darley Classic of 1200m at Flemington again ridden by Kieran McEvoy. In running a time of 1m-08.74s and topping 70.1km/hour, in scoring an all-the-way ¾ length victory.
Returning from a 10 week spell Redzel was a head second to Redkirk Warrior in the Lightning Stakes at Flemington, followed by victory in the Challenge Stakes at Randwick, second to Trapeze Artist in the TJ Smith Stakes and fourth to English in the Doomben 10,000.
Redzel goes into the $13m Everest as the $7 equal favourite, following a somewhat disappointing fifth in the Premier Stakes, having led until the last 200 metres. A week earlier he was scratched from The Shorts due to muscle soreness.
Previously first-up from a four month spell Redzel showed he was on target for The Everest with a solid length victory over Kaepernick in the Concorde Stake at Randwick, winning in a time of 56.19sec for the 1000m race distance.
A 6yo bay gelding trained at Royal Randwick by Peter and Paul Snowden, Redzel was a $120,000 buy at the 2014 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, bred by Lee Fleming Thoroughbreds. Sired by the duel Australian Champion Sire in Snitzel, he is from the Group 3 winning Rubiton mare Millrich, and is closely related to successful young sire Danerich, by Danehill.
Australian’s greatest example of colonial speed is surely the Caulfield Guineas and Oakleigh Plate winner Starspangledbanner, who was Champion Australia Sprinter in 2009-10, and in 2010 the European Champion Sprinter in winning the Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot and the July Cup.
By Bernard Kenny