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Brenton Avdulla has made a special trip to Newcastle to get the feel of his Everest mount In Her Time in a special workout at Broadmeadow.
Avdulla was keen to get a feel of In Her Time after he was confirmed as her rider in the $14 million Everest (1200m) at Randwick on October 19.
Avdulla arranged with trainer Kris Lees to ride In Her Time in a 900m jumpout on the course proper.
Avdulla was delighted with the mare as she beat three stablemates, a positive piece of work as she prepares for her second tilt at The Everest after finishing seventh last year.
The former Sydney premiership winning jockey will get a second opportunity to ride In Her Time when Lees runs her in a barrier at Gosford on October 8, 11 days prior to The Everest
In Her Time, running in the Inglis slot in the Everest, is taking on the world's richest turf race first-up by design due to her outstanding fresh record.
In Her Time has recorded five of her nine wins when resuming including her two G1 victories in the ATC Galaxy at Rosehill and Lightning Stakes at Flemington.
"She is pretty much ready, the trial will top her off," Lees said.
Stablemate Graff is unlikely to secure an Everest berth despite two excellent performances in top company since resuming, forcing Lees to aim the classy sprinter at new targets.
He plans to give Graff his next start in the $500,000 Silver Eagle (1300m) at Randwick on October 12.
A new addition to the Sydney spring program, the Silver Eagle is for four-year-olds under set weights and penalties and provides an ideal lead-up to the inaugural $7.5 million Golden Eagle (1500m) at Rosehill on November 2.
Lees has sent his beaten Newcastle Cup favourite Our Candidate for spell but will press on to Saturday's G1 ATC Metropolitan (2400m) with the second placegetter Attention Run.
He will keep Red Cardinal, fifth in the Newcastle Cup, for the $500,000 St Leger Stakes (2600m) at Randwick on October 19.
Lees is looking forward to inspecting his new acquisition Mustajeer at the Werribee quarantine centre after the last start Ebor winner arrived in Melbourne on the first shipment of overseas horses for the spring carnival.
His first Australian start will be in the $5 million Caulfield Cup on the same day as The Everest with Damien Oliver booked to ride the stayer.
Lees said his stable foreman Cameron Swan had been with Mustajeer for the last three weeks in the UK and he had been pleased with his progress in pre-departure quarantine at Newmarket.
"Cameron feels he is in the same order as when he won the Ebor Handicap at York before we took him over," Lees said.
