Multiple
G1-winning mare Alizee is to run in Godolphin's The Everest slot with Bivouac
to be kept to races against his own age in the immediate future.
The
team at Godolphin considered a number of factors, including the form shown by
Alizee in recent weeks and the wide range of races available to Bivouac, before
making the decision which was announced today.
Champion
jockey Hugh Bowman will ride the three-time G1 winner in the A$14 million
feature on Saturday, 19 October.
The
five-year-old daughter of Sepoy followed her first-up win in the G2 Missile
Stakes in early August with a third to Scales Of Justice in the G1 Memsie
Stakes on 31 August and has since been kept fresh with the A$14 million The
Everest in mind.
"We
are in the fortunate position of having a choice of quality runners for The
Everest, each of which would have been a great chance in the race," said Vin
Cox, Managing Director of Godolphin in Australia.
"It
wasn't a simple decision, but in the end Alizee is a high-class mare who has
shown excellent form when fresh."
"She
has shown us in her training and in a recent barrier trial that she is in great
form and it's our belief that she offers us an outstanding chance in this great
race."
"We
feel that a colt like Bivouac has the opportunity to win a variety of G1 races
which he will now be aimed at."
Bivouac
produced an outstanding performance against his own age to win the G1 Golden
Rose at his most recent appearance and his major spring target will be the
Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington next month. He also holds a nomination to
the G1 Manikato Stakes at Moonee Valley.
Head
Trainer James Cummings said the decision on The Everest runner came after
careful consideration of the present and future options available to both
Alizee and Bivouac.
"Both
horses are G1 winners and there are good reasons to believe both are capable of
running very well in The Everest," Cummings said.
"Alizee
has shown she has held onto the good form she showed earlier in her current
campaign and will be very worthy contender in a race of the quality of the
Everest."
"She
has a great record at Randwick winning five races including two at G1 level –
she's right in this race and we expect her to run well."
"There
is a range of G1 options open to Bivouac beyond the spring which he will now
focus on."
Alizee
showed she has retained the brilliance to be a force in a high-pressure 1200m
race in a recent 1050m barrier trial at Randwick in which she beat the
subsequent G2 winner Brutal, running the final 600m in a slick 32.92 seconds.
She
excelled in a track gallop at Randwick on Wednesday, 9 October with stablemate
Deprive, who is likely to be entered into the Sydney Stakes on the same card as
The Everest.
Meanwhile,
The Everest bid of last year's third placegetter, Osborne Bulls, has been
abandoned after he pulled up lame from his unplaced run in the G2 Premiere
Stakes on 5 October.
