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Everest contenders Arcadia Queen and Enticing Star will be absent when a big list of spring contenders strut their stuff in barrier trials at Randwick on Monday.
Trainer Chris Waller has decided to hold back the former Perth pair as he plots the best path they should follow to the $14 million Everest at Randwick in October.
They are already locked into Everest starts, Arcadia Queen to run for slot holder The Star and Waller Racing nominating Enticing Star as its runner in the world's richest turf race.
Leading Perth owner Bob Peters transferred Arcadia Queen and Enticing Star to Waller in the late autumn after the pair had built excellent records in WA.
Arcadia Queen won five of her six starts for her former trainers Grant and Alana WiIliams with the 4YO mare ending her time in Perth with a dominant 4.5 lengths win in the G1 Kingston Town Stakes (1800m) at Ascot in December.
Adam Durrant trained the 6YO mare Enticing Star to win eight of her 10 starts. She last raced on Decmeber 1 when she finished second to Voodoo Lad in the G1 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) at Ascot.
Waller has ample time and numerous trial options on his side for Arcadia Queen and Enticing Star before he selects their lead-up races to The Everest. Their race options include the Concorde Stakes (September 7), The Shorts (September 21) and the Premiere Stakes (October 5).
Monday's trials feature three heats on the course proper for Group and Listed horses with two heats over 1000m and the third over 900m.
Other Everest slot holders Classique Legend and Sunlight will provide the highlight of the morning when they meet up in the 900m heat.
Other big spring hopes in the black type heats include Happy Clapper, Nakeeta Jane, Finche, Count Octave, Prince Fawaz, Libertini, Dreamforce, Con Te Partiro and Tenley.
The high class imports Finche and Count Octave are top of Chris Waller's big list of contenders for the major spring staying races.
Finche, a Group 3 winner in France, finished fourth in the 2018 Melbourne Cup after a Geelong Cup placing in his first two starts for Waller last spring.
Count Octave was a multiple Group placegetter in the UK where he won two of his 11 starts for Andrew Balding.
His six minor placings include a second to champion stayer Stradivarius in the G2 Lonsdale Cup at York and third behind Defoe and Red Verdon in the G2 Dunaden Stakes at Newmarket.
