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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Matthew Smith wondered how he was going to top last season’s career best 100 winners for the stable but says if Buenos Noches can win Saturday’s $20m TAB Everest (1200m) at Royal Randwick it’ll be life-changing.

Trainer Matthew Smith

Buenos Noches has come along at the right time for the Warwick Farm trainer, who had a hole in his stable left by the retirement last spring of Group 1 winning mare Nimalee.

The four-year-old, who Smith secured for just $40,000 at the Inglis Classic Sale in 2021, is making a good fist of filling the position of stable star and Smith is confident he’s a live chance to snare that valuable Everest win.

“We wanted to find the best son of Supido, we were the underbidder on Supido, and that’s how we found him,’’ Smith said.

“It could change your life. The way modern racing is now, you always wanted to win a Cox Plate or Golden Slipper or Melbourne Cup but now you want to win an Everest.

"Racing has changed, it’s right up there with the top four races.

“For us a win, or even just being in the race, can get our stable a better profile and you might get access to owners who probably wouldn’t normally give you an opportunity to train one.

“I’m confident the horse is in the right place to win the race in terms of how he’s been prepared, now it’s down to luck in running.”

Under the radar would be the best way to describe Buenos Noches until this spring.

He won on debut at the start of his three-year-old season and two starts later recorded a Listed win.

Giga Kick narrowly beat him in the Danehill Stakes last year, before that horse won the TAB Everest, and he followed that with a Group 1 placing in the Coolmore Stud Stakes.

This spring he’s been a revelation and announced himself an Everest candidate with an easy Group 3 Show County (1200m) win at Randwick first-up in August.

Smith was keen to showcase him for an Everest slot so he emerged in the Group 2 The Shorts (1100m) and ran an eye-catching third, leading to TAB picking up the entire for their slot.

In that race Buenos Noches recorded 32.47 for his last 600m, 0.04 outside the race’s best, and the fastest last 200m of 10.82 (Punter’s Intelligence) as he closed late on Private Eye.

“He’s had a super prep, his work has been really good,’’ Smith said.

“He’s gone better than leading into his last race so he’s still on the way up.

“He’s a really good horse and will go on to be a good horse whether he wins an Everest or he doesn’t. He’s in the right place at the right time, he’s landed in the right spot.”

There were mixed feelings about barrier eight for Buenos Noches but Smith has confidence in star apprentice Dylan Gibbons to make the right calls in the race.

Buenos Noches runs third in The Shorts

He said everyone knows Buenos Noches won’t be settling in the first few but is a little concerned about where the speed will come from to challenge expected leader Overpass.

“It will be interesting to see what the horses inside are going to do, because he’s a horse that gets back he’s dictated to by the speed,’’ he said.

“He runs on so he will need a bit of pressure up front to win so it depends on how they run the race.

“I don’t think we’ve seen the best of him. This preparation is the best he’s been, he’s working better and looks better, he’s really ready to go.”

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