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By Brad Gray

Every journey begins with a single step and so is the case for Omei Sword who in Saturday’s $150,000 Group Three Show Country Quality (1200m), will be out to prove to Chris Waller that she is worthy of filling the stable’s slot in The Everest.

“The Everest is a race that everybody will eventually dream about and the beauty of it is that it’s in the middle of the spring and the spring provides a lot of up and coming horses with an opportunity. I think in the years ahead, The Everest will be won by emerging stars coming through,” Waller said of the $10 million sprint.

“Can she be included in that category? Well, she’s got the right credentials. She has run second in the Golden Rose as a very lightly-raced three-year-old filly. She had a few issues in the autumn but if we can have a trouble free preparation with her, she is going to end up being a Group One winner.

“Saturday will be a good guide and obviously you’d expect her to win if The Everest was in our thoughts. She has no excuses from a weights perceptive or a barrier draw perspective so it’s up to her to prove herself.

“I would give her another run though. She’s need to win more than a Show County.”

The now four-year-old daughter of High Chaparral suffered a frustrating autumn with a minor setback forcing her to start her campaign on a heavy track where she rattled home to run second in the Group Two Surround Stakes. That was before bleeding from both nostrils in the Group One Coolore Classic which has seen Waller adjust her training regime.

“She is a very good horse but a challenging horse to train. We try to reduce the intensity of her work so there is less galloping but it’s so important to still have them fit. You can’t send them to the races underdone,” Waller said of the delicate balance.

“You try to make sure the conditions suit too. Try to avoid being three and four wide in the Coolmore and wet tracks like she tackled first up last preparation so we’ll just be trying to make sure that everything is in her favour.

Check out the fields, form and replays Royal Randwick on Saturday