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By Ray Hickson

It looked a natural fit and exciting mare Sunshine In Paris has secured her place in next month’s $20 million TAB Everest (1200m) via slot holder Aquis, who bred her, on the back of her dominant first-up win last weekend.

Trainer Annabel Neasham has indicated the four-year-old won’t race again until the Everest, preferring to keep her fresh after claiming the Group 2 Sheraco Stakes, and owner John Camilleri said his family is rapt to be involved in the nation’s premier sprint race.

John Camilleri with ATC director Angela Belle McSweeney after Sunshine In Paris won the Sheraco (Pic: Bradley Photos).

“It’s a big thrill. It’s always great to have a runner on these big carnival days but the Everest, it’s just next level,’’ Camilleri said.

“It’s a race that the world looks at now. Peter V’landys has done an amazing job in his creation and then the promotion of the Everest.

“You feel a touch morally obliged to stick with the camp that originally owned her so we thought Aquis were logical.”

Camilleri and James Harron paid $3.9 million for Sunshine In Paris at a broodmare sale in May and her win in the Sheraco could be just a glimpse of what she’s capable of.

While no mare has yet won an Everest, and two previous Sheraco winners have been unplaced in the race, he said there’s every reason to think with just six race starts the best is still in front of her.

She’s a $13 chance in TAB’s all-in market behind defending champion Giga Kick ($4.50) who had his colours lowered first-up.

“She was a Group 1 winning, outstanding looking, mare so she’s got a massive residual value regardless,’’ he said.

“You listen to Annabel and she doesn’t think she’s got to the bottom of her yet so it’s fairly exciting and hopefully Annabel is half right.

“I find it very hard to line them up, she couldn’t do much more than what she did on Saturday. History is against her but there is always a first time and that’s the hope we live in.”

The Surround Stakes win by Sunshine In Paris back in February was a huge moment for Aquis, as Director Of Sales Jonathan Davies explained, due to it being the first Group 1 win by their stallion Invader.

He said that win put her on the radar for the Everest slot and, like Camilleri, hopes she can continue to climb the sprinting ladder.

“It was an incredibly impressive performance first-up from a spell and it was great to see her come back better than last prep, that she’s taken her next step,’’ Davies said.

“She’s by our very own stallion in Invader so it’s definitely one we were keen on locking in.

“She won a Group 1 at her fifth race start in arguably the strongest three-year-old fillies race in Australia last season with multiple Group 1 winners coming out of the race behind her, In Secret and Ruthless Dame among them.

“I believe we’re in with a live chance, it’ll be an incredible field of sprinters but we’re pleased to have Sunshine In Paris in our slot.”

Five of the 12 slots are now locked away with Sunshine In Paris joining Giga Kick (James Harron Bloodstock), I Wish I Win (Trackside Media), Mazu (The Star & Arrowfield) and Think About It (Newgate/GPI).

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