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By Ray Hickson

There was no dancing around when trainer John O’Shea was asked what he believes needs to happen for his classy galloper Lost And Running to take down the world’s best sprinter in Saturday’s $15m TAB Everest (1200m) at Royal Randwick.

Trainer John O'Shea (Pic: Steve Hart)

O’Shea had the straight bat out and said while he’s confident Lost And Running is there to give the Everest a shake everyone is aware of what Nature Strip can do and he’s hoping fortune doesn’t favour the favourite.

“For him to have adversity and for us to have none,’’ was O’Shea’s response.

“To be fair, in a two horse race Nature Strip is probably always going to beat us. But it’s the nature of racing, things may not go his way in the run and it may go our way.

“There’s plenty of other opposition in the race, obviously, but we would have to have an unimpeded run and for him not to have as good a run.

“He’s had the odd chink in his armour, he has an off day. But there’s a reason why he’s the world’s best sprinter and it’s a big challenge when you have to beat the world’s best at anything.”

Nature Strip is on his fourth journey into the Everest while for Lost And Running it’s his second and O’Shea said last year’s experience, where he finished fourth, has the six-year-old in a good place.

While his 2021 campaign started in virtual disaster, before he clawed his way back into the picture, it’s been a smooth ride this time around as Lost And Running resumed with a close third to Nature Strip in The Shorts before winning the Group 2 Premiere Stakes (1200m), defeating Mazu and Masked Crusader, two weeks ago.

It earned him second favouritism, at $6 with TAB on Wednesday, for the TAB Everest.

“He’s just improved a lot, he’s had a better preparation and we’ve learned how to prepare him better and he’s executing his race plans better,’’ O’Shea said.

“It was a strong win (in the Premiere) and it took a big effort. A long sustained run on testing ground. Hugh (Bowman) rode him confidently because he has a lot of belief in the horse.”

Before they hit the track for the TAB Everest, O’Shea and Lost And Running have had a small win over Nature Strip – the barrier draw placed the favourite on the outside of the 12 horse field while O’Shea’s charge jumps from gate seven.

He couldn’t have asked for too much more, maybe one or two gates further in, and the trainer said he hopes Bowman can find a tag into the race and present the horse at the right time.

“If we could find (Nature Strip’s) back at some stage in the run, turning for home, that’d be great and it would mean we are going well,’’ he said.

“There are plenty of good horses in the race and I’m sure there will be something to get us to where we need to go.”

A preview of a horse that O’Shea is hoping will be in the 2023 TAB Everest field may have to wait a week after the exciting Waihaha Falls drew wide and found himself second emergency in the Group 3 $2m Sydney Stakes (1200m).

Lost And Running wins the Premiere Stakes

The five-year-old emerged in the winter with two runaway wins over the Randwick 1200m and O’Shea said a race like the $1m The Hunter (1300m) at Newcastle next month would be an ideal step into the better grades.

Of course Lost And Running won that race last year and O’Shea said Waihaha Falls is tracking not unlike his stablemate as he started his rise.

“We think he is at a similar stage to Lost And Running, he’s put up some big performances at lower grades,’’ he said.

“His capacity to handle 1200m at Randwick goes without saying and his capacity to handle wet ground is an advantage and he is a really exciting young sprinter.”

All the fields, form and replays for TAB Everest Day at Randwick