Hawkes: The two horses to back in The Everest

The Everest market is obviously dominated by the short-priced favourite in Hong Kong superstar Ka Ying Rising, but what about some value plays?

Trainer Wayne Hawkes has provided two horses at wider odds that he recommends backing.

One of them is the Ciaron Maher-trained Tempted, who Hawkes argued could be the best sprinter in Australia, and the other is his very own gun sprinter, Briasa.

“Can I give you the two horses to back,” Hawkes started on SENTrack & RSN’s Giddy Up.

“Tempted at $8, you know what, that's a bloody good bet. She arguably is the best sprinter in the country right now.

“I'll tell you the other one that's not even in the market… Briasa.

“And don't say I didn't tell you because he is 51-to-1 and drifting. That is nuts.

“I mean seriously, 51-to-1 about a TJ winner (in 2025), and he was just like Jimmystarr last campaign, nothing went right for him.

“He nearly won a Galaxy and nearly won a TJ (last campaign). I know he didn't, but if he won both those Group 1s, he'd be $8.

“He's not a 51-to-1 chance!”

The trainer continued by claiming that Joliestar is a “cross” for The Everest, not a tick.

He explained that the Chris Waller-trained sprinter’s European campaign puts a huge question mark on how she will perform this spring.

“We have to give Joliestar a cross, not a tick,” admitted Hawkes.

“And everyone says, ‘Wow, why would you do that?’ Well, she's just been to Europe, she has to come back from Europe, she's going to run arguably either first-up or second-up (in The Everest), which is fine because Joliestar has a brilliant record fresh.

“So, if they decide to run her in The Everest fresh, she's got a chance, but in 133 years of the running of the Newmarket no horse has ever won first-up, so I would assume she'll probably run in the Premiere (first-up).

“That's not going to be easy to do because the old Joliestar would be seriously hard to beat, but I would give her a question mark due to going to Europe.”

Ka Ying Rising tops the market for The Everest at $1.55 with Sportsbet, while Tempted ($8), Joliestar ($11) and Briasa ($51) all present themselves as value options.

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