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Former Perth mare Enticing Star is set to be tested in blinkers to determine if she will continue to hold the Chris Waller Racing slot in the $14 million Everest at Randwick next month.
Waiting in the wings to take her place is her stablemate Nature Strip following his brilliant return to winning form at Moonee Valley on Friday night when he was too fast for some classy rivals over 1000m in the G1 Moir Stakes including Everest runner Sunlight.
The Bob Peters-owned Enticing Star was a major flop at Rosehill on Saturday when she failed in her first start for the Waller stable in the G2 Golden Pendant over 1400m.
She failed to pick up from the rear of the seven-horse field and on the line was a well beaten fifth, 4.5 lengths from the winner Mizzy in a leader dominated race.
Good trials since arriving in Sydney saw her start a short priced favourite but the fact that her lack of speed in a race restricted to her own sex does not auger well for her chances against Australia's best sprinters over 1200m in the Everest at Randwick on October 19.
Enticing Star's jockey James McDonald was questioned at length by stewards about the mare's performance and offered no excuses, explaining that she settled a little further back than he had intended after an awkward start but when he attempted to improve his position from the 600m she did not respond as he had expected.
McDonald offered the view that Enticing Star would benefit from the re-application of blinkers, gear that she wore for the first time in her final Perth start when second in the G1 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) last December.
She had previously won eight of her first nine starts without blinkers.
Waller concurred and suggested Everest plans for Enticing Star would remain in place until she works or trials in blinkers in the next two weeks.
Those plans will be worked out on Monday when Waller talks with Bob Peters. He will then advise stewards of their plans.
Peters, who also has his other outstanding mare Arcadia Queen locked into an Everest start in the slot held by The Star, said he is open-minded about Enticing Star's program.
"We will have talk about her on Monday. We want to do what is best for the horse," Peter said on Sunday.
Waller was keen on an Everest start for Nature Strip after the Moir Stakes but that was in the anticipation that he may be picked up by slot holder James Harron.
Harron is yet to select his Everest runner.
