Exciting Japanese sprinter eyes The Everest

Rapidly emerging Japanese sprinter Invincible Papa, an Australian-bred son of Shalaa, is firming as a serious prospect to return to his birthplace for a shot at The Everest this spring.

Trained by Daishi Ito, Invincible Papa added another feature to his growing record with a stylish victory in Sunday’s Grade 3 CBC Sho at Chukyo, securing his second black-type success from just three starts in 2025. The turf performance only strengthened his credentials for an assault on the $20 million showpiece at Royal Randwick in October.

The five-year-old, to southern hemisphere time, has been a revelation, winning six of his 10 career starts and attracting strong interest from Everest slot holders eager to test him against Hong Kong’s superstar sprinter and current race favourite Ka Ying Rising.

Inglis – which in recent years has partnered with Entain-controlled New Zealand Trackside Media to fill its Everest slot – is tipped to be leading the charge to secure Invincible Papa as its 2025 contender.

With his profile on the rise and connections weighing up the challenge, Invincible Papa could soon become one of the most talked-about international raiders of this year’s The Everest build-up.