Billed as a ‘mini Everest’, The Shorts is set to live up to the hype with the five sprinters confirmed for slots in the $15 million showpiece on a collision course at Randwick.
Reigning Everest champion Nature Strip steps out for the first time since winning the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot in June while Masked Crusader, Eduardo, Lost And Running and Mazu will also use The Shorts (1100m) as a launchpad to next month’s rich feature.
Add 2020 Everest winner Classique Legend to that mix, along with Group 1 winner Shelby Sixtysix and the speedy Overpass, and The Shorts could rival the Group 1 George Main Stakes for top billing on Saturday.
Masked Crusader was slated to resume in the Concorde Stakes two weeks ago but was scratched due to the wet track and instead kept up to the mark with a barrier trial at Rosehill.
Co-trainer Michael Hawkes is looking forward to getting him back to the races and isn’t afraid of the all-conquering Nature Strip, who Masked Crusader went within inches of running down in the 2021 Everest.
“You’re taking on a horse like Nature Strip, but he’s been around the world and back. We’re in a good position,” Michael Hawkes said.
“He’s going very well and we’re very happy. We’ve got the one race in mind, we just need to go one better.”
Of the five Everest runners in The Shorts, Masked Crusader is the longest odds at $18 with Nature Strip heading betting as a $2.50 favourite.
It is the same story in early Everest markets which have the Hawkes Racing gelding at $15.
While Michael Hawkes concedes Masked Crusader raced below par in the autumn, he has warned punters that he doesn’t expect that to be repeated this spring.
“Everybody is probably going on last preparation and that he didn’t come up,” he said.
“To be fair, he didn’t, but horses can have bad days. Humans have bad days.
“At the end of the day, he is going very good.”
