Ninja strengthens The Everest claims

While reigning champion Ka Ying Rising remains the overwhelming favourite to defend his crown in The Everest, the race for the remaining 11 slots is beginning to heat up.

One horse to significantly boost his credentials over the weekend was the Michael Freedman-trained Ninja, who produced an impressive first-up victory in Saturday’s Group 2 Missile Stakes at Randwick.

The four-year-old son of Farnan settled perfectly behind the speed before powering home to score by 1.2 lengths, taking his record to five wins from just nine starts.

His performance followed two encouraging barrier trials, where he recorded a win and a second over 900 metres, suggesting he had returned in excellent order.

RSN form analyst Nick Noonan believes the gelding’s biggest improvement has come mentally, saying that development could be the key to earning a coveted Everest slot.

“That was a fantastic win. He didn’t get out of the barriers all that well, but then Way To The Stars just ripped along by himself out in front, and there was just a huge opening for Ninja to slot in there in the early stages. It was a dominant win,” Nick told RSN’s Correct Weight.

“The interesting part of the post-race interview was Tommy Berry saying how much this horse has improved mentally, and Corey Brown noticed that as well, saying that he paraded a lot better than previously.

“He was probably on an Everest audition (prior to the race), and I think he might be getting the nod off what we saw there.”

Fellow analyst Trav Noonan agreed, believing Ninja has done enough to be considered among Australia’s leading sprinters.

“You think there’s only more upside to come with him, getting fitter throughout the campaign,” Trav said.

“I would say before we see him at the races next, a slot will have been secured for Ninja.

“Because at the end of the day there’s 11 slots that need to be filled outside of Ka Ying Rising, and if he’s not in the top 11 sprinters in the country of what he did there yesterday, I’d be a bit surprised.”

Following his Missile Stakes success, Ninja is an $18 chance for The Everest, sitting behind Ka Ying Rising ($1.55), Autumn Glow ($6), Tempted ($8), Joliestar ($11), Guest House ($15), Jimmysstar ($15) and Sheza Alibi ($15) in early betting.