Ben Hayes admits he isn’t sure just how good War Machine might be heading into Saturday’s $20 million The Everest — and that’s exactly what excites him most.
The Stradbroke winner has been unbeaten since joining the Lindsay Park team and has drawn perfectly in barrier four for the world’s richest turf sprint at Randwick. Support for the powerful sprinter has continued to grow in the lead-up to the race, with many punters seeing him as a genuine contender.
“The exciting thing about War Machine is that we don’t know his limit yet,” Hayes told *The Verdict* podcast.
“Since we’ve had him, he’s had four starts for four wins and improved with every start.
“His win the other day (in the Gilgai) was probably his most dominant.
“He was first-up, with plenty of improvement to come.
“He’s drawn a beautiful gate, we know where the speed is and he maps to get a beautiful run.
“If something does go wrong with dad’s horse (Ka Ying Rising), it wouldn’t surprise if he was able to be very, very competitive.
“His final gallop was excellent and he’ll be there to run a big race.
“He is definitely not there to make up the numbers, that’s for sure.”
War Machine, who captured the Stradbroke earlier this year, will remain in Sydney after The Everest before being aimed at the Group 1 CF Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on November 15.
Fans eager to back War Machine in The Everest can explore Australia’s top betting sites — the most searched platforms on Google for racing odds, offers, and promotions.
