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Trainer Kris Lees is sure his Everest runner In Her Time is flying under the radar heading into the world's richest turf race at Randwick on Saturday.
Lees is confident he has the mare in the right place at the right time for her second crack at the $14 million Everest after she finished seventh last year.
It's a different strategy as In Her Time is tackling the crack field without a lead up race as opposed to last year when she backed up 14 days after running third in the Premiere Stakes at Randwick.
Lees has been focused on the Everest since In Her Time was one of the first horses claimed by a slot holder, Inglis locking in the mare in June soon after the bidding window opened.
While many race options had to be considered Lees elected to go with a fresh is best policy and set the seven-year-old for a first-up win in the Everest – with good reason!
Lees only had to look In Her Time's career history to know he was making a sound decision as the mare has previously won five times when first-up including her two G1 victories in the ATC Galaxy at Rosehill and the VRC Lightning Stakes at Flemington.
In Her Time was well into her Everest campaign last year when Lees took over her preparation from her former trainer Ben Smith.
Knowing In Her Time was locked into an Everest start in the Inglis slot, Lees set the mare on a program of barrier trials to ensure she arrives on the day fit and ready for the race of her life.
Spelled in March after she pulled up with a foot issue in the Newmarket Handicap at Flemington, In Her Time started her build up in June and was given her first trial on her home track at Newcastle on August 19 where she finished second over 900m behind her stablemate Graff.
With such a long build up to The Everest Lees was tempted to start In Her Time at Randwick on September 21.
However heavy rain quickly washed away those thoughts after he declared her an acceptor for The Shorts (1100m) as he feared starting her on a wet track would do her more harm than good.
It set in stone his original plan to send her into The Everest without a conditioning run, giving her another trial at Gosford last Tuesday where she finished an unextended second behind old rival and dual Everest winner Redzel over 1000m with race jockey Brenton Avdulla aboard.
In Her Time has since tightened up with a fast gallop at Broadmeadow last Saturday. She will put in one more serious piece of work on Tuesday to top off her preparation.
The summation from Lees is that all has gone to plan and she is ready to run a big race on Saturday.
"It's the longest gap In Her Time has ever had between races but she is ready to run really well in The Everest," Lees said.
"She's in great order and I couldn't have been happier with how she trialled at Gosford
"From my point she's been in the race all preparation and we've known where we are going with her.
"It's now a matter of just keeping her ticking over."
It will be third year in succession that In Her Time has raced on Everest day.
She won the Sydney Stakes (1200m) in 2017 after she missed a start in the Everest and ran faster time Redzel over the same distance in the big race.
Lees has a strong grip on what is required for The Everest as he had runners each year since its inception in 2017.
He started Clearly Innocent (8th) in the inaugural Everest and last year became the first trainer to have three runners when he saddled Le Romain (4th), Graff (5th) and In Her Time.
