The Everest tips and trifectas

The $10 million The Everest will be run at Randwick on Saturday and here are the tips and trifectas from our editorial team.

We asked the boys for their The Everest tip based on a $50 investment and also what they'd do in The Everest trifecta with $50 to play with.

The Everest will be run as Race 8 on Saturday and they are scheduled to jump at 4.15pm.

STEPHEN BRASSEL

No. 2 – VEGA MAGIC ($50 WIN) – Since arriving in the Hayes'/Dabernig stable this former Perth galloper has taken his game to another level and I'm expecting he'll go up another rung on Saturday and take the mantle as Australia's premier sprinter. In Perth, when trained by Sean Casey, Vega Magic put together an impressive record winning nine wins and being placed three times from just 14 starts but in his new environment the gelding has an unblemished record from three starts, including two at Group I level. He's drawn out in barrier 10 however I can't see that being too big a problem with Deploy in barrier seven sure to charge forward and I wouldn't be surprised if Vega Magic slots into the one-one with a perfect trail. He led throughout to win the Group I Memsie Stakes at Caulfield last time over 1400m so he'll be strong to the finish and the more I look at the race the more confident I am he'll win.

CLINTON PAYNE

No. 5 – CLEARLY INNOCENT ($25 EACH-WAY) – Some say you can't eat value but the mantra of only betting when getting value has served me well over the years and that's why I'm in Clearly Innocent's corner. I found this intriguing when trying to line them all up and my conclusion was more about why no than why yes. Is 1200m Clearly Innocent's prime trip, probably not but his whole preparation has been set around this race second-up and he goes like a bomb second-up. I also love the fact that he's drawn a gate to allow Hugh Bowman to get him into clear air from the top of the straight because he's a much better horse with a bit of room rather than being bottled up inside runners. He's also going to relish the way this race will be run and after the barrier draw, I'd expect him to be ahead of the likes of Chautauqua and English in the run.

BRAD WATERS

No. 2 VEGA MAGIC ($50 WIN): This bloke is unbeaten for trainers David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig and is poised to join the top echelon of Australian sprinters with a win in The Everest. He has great natural pace and gets himself into the perfect positions behind the speed and waits for his chance to pounce on his opposition. He carried 60.5kg to victory when beating fellow contender Brave Smash when resuming at Listed level and he was a dominant winner when controlling the speed in the Memsie Stakes. I like the fact he has had a 1400m run this time in because he'll be strong enough for a quick 1200m pace and will be tough to beat with his racing style.

TOM WALTER

No. 5 – CLEARLY INNOCENT ($25 EACH-WAY) – A difficult race to tip anything with conviction so I've gone searching for some value and landed on Clearly Innocent. He's probably open to the most improvement being second-up and has the lethal Kris Lees and Hugh Bowman trainer-jockey combination. Pace is likely to be strong up front which could set the race up for a backmarker like him. At double figure odds, he looks a decent each-way gamble.

DARRYL SHERER

No. 1 – CHAUTAUQUA ($25 EACH-WAY) – The handicapper is almost always right and Chautauqua is clearly the highest rated horse in the race. He took three runs before winning last preparation and his whole campaign this time in has been aimed at this race. The likely strong pace is going to see him last around the turn if recent form is an indication before unleashing his finish. Favoured by the conditions, he should be mighty hard to hold out. Vega Magic and English are both likely to be on pace and should be in this for a long way.

BEN DORRIES

No. 9 – ENGLISH ($25 EACH-WAY) – This Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott galloper wasn't my early pick for The Everest but I've changed my tune after watching her scintillating finishing burst in the Group II Premiere Stakes. Sat a mile off them at the back and flew home, just failing to nail In Her Time who had a cushy run. Beat Chautauqua home by almost three lengths. Will be peaking here third up and has got out to juicy odds ($12) after drawing the widest gate. But the gate may not be as bad as you think as a few speedsters here will break up the field, leaving English with every chance of slotting in with cover.

TOM BADDOCK

No. 3 – REDZEL ($50 WIN) – This horse is absolutely flying, winning his past four including the Group I Doomben 10,000 (1200m) and the Group III The Shorts (1100m) in track record time, defeating key The Everest rivals English, Fell Swoop and Chautauqua in the process. He will make his own luck by racing up on the speed and will be terribly hard to get past in the straight. Furthermore, he has champion jockey Kerrin McEvoy on board who is a master at getting the job done in the big races. I know the stable is confident of a big performance by Redzel on Saturday which only makes me more assured he is the horse they all have to beat.