Trainer Clayton Douglas admitted at last night’s Everest barrier draw that his star gelding Giga Kick “is on the comeback trail” but believes his horse can win the $20 million sprint again.

Attendees were kept guessing last night at Royal Randwick while The Everest barriers were revealed following a series of death-defying acts performed by the Weber Bros Circus under the Big Top.

Giga Kick, an $11 chance, won The Everest two years ago as a three-year-old but missed last year’s main event after suffering an injury in the lead up.

The Douglas-trained gelding didn’t race in the autumn but Australian Turf Club (ATC), in partnership with Giga Kick’s owner Jonathan Munz, saw enough in two spring runs to lock him in for The Everest.

His chances were enhanced with a perfect draw in barrier three.

“We are on the comeback trail and have been really happy with how he is going,” Douglas said.

“I am really happy with the barrier draw, it gives us options.”

Godolphin trainer James Cummings had his wishes granted at last night’s The Everest barrier draw with a perfect gate for star colt Traffic Warden, who’ll lead a three-year-old assault on Saturday’s $20 million sprint.

Four three-year-olds will contest this year’s race with Traffic Warden set to get every chance from barrier two with Victorian-based jockey Jamie Kah aboard.

“It’s a perfect draw, we were hoping to draw inside four and just hoping that we can capitalise on it now,” Cummings said.

Traffic Warden is on the fourth line of betting at $8 behind Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman’s Victorian-based weapon I Wish I Win ($5), the Chris Waller-trained Joliestar ($6) and Ciaron Maher’s gun colt Growing Empire ($7).

I Wish I Win, who drew barrier nine, was a narrow runner-up in last year’s The Everest and was the second horse picked up for his second attempt at the race.

Barrier Draws

Waller, already a two-time The Everest winner with Yes Yes Yes (2019) and Nature Strip (2021), saw his chances of claiming a third win enhanced with Joliestar drawing ideally in barrier four.

Bella Nipotina is an $8 hope despite drawing the outside in barrier 12 while I Am Me ($17), victorious in both the Concorde Stakes and The Shorts in the lead up, was one of the big winners after drawing barrier one.

Barrier Draws

Stefi Magnetica’s trainer Bjorn Baker and wife Andrea attend last night’s The Everest barrier draw. Picture: Richard Dobson

Two-time placegetter Private Eye ($26) will jump from barrier 10, Sunshine in Paris ($11) jumps from eight while the Bjorn Baker-trained Stefi Magnetica ($15) is in six.

Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott will start two three-year-olds in the race with Storm Boy ($15) and Lady Of Camelot ($51), who drew barriers five and 11 respectively.

2024 THE EVEREST FIELD

No. – Horse – Trainer – Jockey – Barrier – Weight

1 – I WISH I WIN – Peter G Moody/Katherine Coleman – Luke Nolen – 9 – 58.5kg

2 – GIGA KICK – Clayton Douglas – Mark Zahra – 3 – 58.5kg

3 – PRIVATE EYE – Joseph Pride – Jay Ford – 10 – 58.5kg

4 – BELLA NIPOTINA – Ciaron Maher – Craig Williams – 12 – 56.5kg

5 – I AM ME – Ciaron Maher – Nash Rawiller – 1 – 56.5kg

6 – STEFI MAGNETICA – Bjorn Baker – Zac Lloyd (a) – 6 – 56.5kg

7 – SUNSHINE IN PARIS – Annabel Neasham/Rob Archibald – Tommy Berry – 8 – 56.5kg

8 – JOLIESTAR – Chris Waller – James McDonald – 4 – 56.5kg

9 – GROWING EMPIRE – Ciaron Maher – Kerrin McEvoy – 7 – 53kg

10 – TRAFFIC WARDEN – James Cummings – Jamie Kah – 2 – 53kg

11 – STORM BOY – Gai Waterhouse/Adrian Bott – Brenton Avdulla – 5 – 53kg

12 – LADY OF CAMELOT – Gai Waterhouse/Adrian Bott – Rachel King – 11 – 51kg

Emergencies

13 emg – OVERPASS – Bjorn Baker – 58.5kg

14 emg – THINK ABOUT IT – Joseph Pride – 58.5kg

15 emg – SOUTHPORT TYCOON – Ciaron Maher – 58.5kg

16 emg – MAZU – Joseph Pride – 58.5kg

FANCY’S HORROR CAULFIELD CUP DRAW SHIFTS MARKET

Caulfield Cup second favourite Eliyass fared worst in Tuesday’s barrier draw for Saturday’s $5m event.

The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained import drew the outside barrier 21 but will jump from gate 18 after scratchings.

Ladbrokes eased Eliyass’s price from $6 to $7 in Caulfield Cup betting while the Chris Waller-trained Buckaroo held favouritism at $5 after drawing barrier eight.

Eliyass’s jockey Tim Clark said the presence of on-pacers Duke De Sessa and Deny Knowledge could help him find a good position early in the 2400m Group 1 test act Caulfield.

However, he said the barrier draw would not prompt a change of tactics for the talented galloper, who finished third in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes at Flemington at his Melbourne debut.

“He did a bit of work outside the leader the other day (in the Turnbull Stakes),” Clark said.

“If he can maybe sit behind a couple, he’s got a really good turn of foot which we’ve seen many times in Sydney.

“It looks a race with good speed with Deny Knowledge, Duke De Sessa, they should spread out, there should be spots for him to slot in.

“He’ll roll forward no matter where he draws and it will all depend on the tempo on where he ends up through the run.”

Warmonger also drew awkwardly in barrier 16, which will become gate 13 if the emergencies don’t gain a start.

Warmonger won his last 2400m start, the Group 1 Queensland Derby, by more than 10 lengths at Eagle Farm in June.

Jockey Michael Dee has the task of negotiating the tricky barrier as he chases a second Caulfield Cup win after scoring on the $18 chance Durston in 2022.

Dee agreed with Clark’s assessment that a strong early speed was likely to prevail in the Caulfield Cup, especially after Deny Knowledge – who led all the way to win last Saturday’s Might And Power Stakes – drew barrier 17.

“I’d prefer to find the fence if anything and get the horse relaxed and in a rhythm and then work out the second half (of the race) from there,” Dee said.

“There should be genuine tempo … they’ll be going pretty quick I’d imagine and I wouldn’t think they’ll be slowing up too much.

“Ideally it will be a genuine tempo the whole way and if they were running along we could risk it a little bit and try and slot in somewhere a bit closer.”

Japanese galloper Warp Speed eased from $15 to $21 after drawing barrier 19 while Land Legend remained solid at $8 despite drawing the dreaded barrier one.

No horse has won a Caulfield Cup from barrier one since Jack Purtell steered Velocity to victory from the inside gate in 1941.

– with Gilbert Gardiner

2024 CAULFIELD CUP FIELD

No. – Horse – Trainer – Jockey – Barrier – Weight

1 – KALAPOUR (IRE) – Kris Lees – Ben Melham – 4 – 55kg

2 – BUCKAROO (GB) – Chris Waller – Joao Moreira – 8 – 54.5kg

3 – CIRCLE OF FIRE (GB) – Ciaron Maher – John Allen – 13 – 54.5kg

4 – WARP SPEED (JPN) – Noboru Takagi – Akira Sugawara – 19 – 54.5kg

5 – HUETOR (FR) – Peter Snowden – Luke Currie – 7 – 54kg

6 – WARMONGER (NZ) – Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) – Michael Dee – 16 – 53.5kg

7 – ELIYASS (FR) – Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott – Tim Clark – 21 – 53kg

8 – LAND LEGEND (FR) – Chris Waller – Zac Purton – 1 – 53kg

9 – YOUNG WERTHER (NZ) – Danny O’Brien – Jye McNeil – 10 – 52.5kg

10 – DUKE DE SESSA (IRE) – Ciaron Maher – Harry Coffey – 6 – 52kg

11 – KNIGHT’S CHOICE – John Symons & Sheila Laxon – Robbie Dolan – 14 – 51.5kg

12 – MURAMASA – Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young – Daniel Moor – 5 – 51kg

13 – ZARDOZI – James Cummings – Andrea Atzeni – 12 – 51kg

14 – COCO SUN – Tony & Calvin McEvoyKaris Teetan2050.5kg

15 – DENY KNOWLEDGE (IRE) – Anthony & Sam Freedman – C.Newitt – 17 – 50.5kg

16 – VALIANT KING (GB) – Chris Waller – Teo Nugent – 18 – 50.5kg

17 – POSITIVITY (NZ) – Andrew Forsman – Winona Costin – 9 – 50kg

18 – SAYEDATY SADATY (IRE) – Ciaron Maher – Ben Thompson – 2 – 50kg

EMERGENCIES

19 – FANCY MAN (IRE) – Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald – TBC – 3 – 50kg

20 – BERKSHIRE BREEZE (IRE) – Ciaron Maher – TBC – 15 – 50kg

21 – FRANCESCO GUARDI (IRE) – Chris Waller – TBC 11 – 52kg