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By Ray Hickson

A personal best will be required from Godolphin sprinter Ingratiating to feature in Saturday’s $15m TAB Everest (1200m) at Royal Randwick but trainer James Cummings says, if he does, the race could set up in his favour.

Cummings is banking on the Everest being run at a pressure cooker level given Ingratiating is a backmarker but said he showed last weekend the entire has a strong finish on him.

The four-year-old was given the nod for the Godolphin slot after chasing home stablemate Paulele at in the Schillaci Stakes and will be making his Randwick debut.

“There are a number of very, very fast horses who would be vying to take the lead, so there’s no doubt it will be a very fast-run race, so there might be an opportunity for a closer,’’ Cummings said.

“It might be up to a horse like Ingratiating who can use his toughness from a seven-day backup and experience.

“He’s one of the horses who should be able to capitalise on that pattern and be storming home in the race.

“With the best run of his career and a whole heap of luck he could give them a scare and that would give us a really big thrill.

“We’ve really persisted with him and I feel like we are just on the edge of being rewarded.”

Paulele storms home in the Schillaci Stakes 👏@mcacajamez @JamesCummings88 pic.twitter.com/ceKe6X9Fwk

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) October 8, 2022

Ingratiating may not be a pin up horse like one of his peers Anamoe but he has built a solid record with four wins from 18 starts and three Group 1 placings, including the Golden Slipper last year.

An Everest has so far eluded Godolphin with Bivouac’s second placing in 2020 the global operation’s best result. They’ve recorded third placings with Osborne Bulls (2018) and Trekking (2019).

Cummings is realistic about Ingratiating’s chances, he was $34 with TAB on Thursday, but also boosted by coming into the race with form around a horse he knows very well (in Paulele) that would be higher in the market.

“We’d dearly love to win, but it doesn’t get any easier every year, and a very difficult year presents this year with the world champion sprinter in Nature Strip,” he said.

“It was an excellent effort from (Ingratiating) at weight-for-age level and only over 1100m second-up.

“But he gets a huge test this weekend, there’s no doubt he’s got an enormous mountain to climb.”

Many thought stable favourite, and cult galloper, Kementari would be Godolphin’s Everest representative after his close fourth behind Lost And Running, Mazu, and Masked Crusader in the Group 2 Premiere Stakes two weeks ago.

But Cummings said the eight-year-old is so well placed in the Group 3 $2 million Sydney Stakes (1200m) he can go to Randwick with high expectations.

“I think he can win the Sydney Stakes, I think it is a good race for that horse,’’ he said.

“Beaten half a length in that race is looking like pretty good form and with the big prizemoney on offer for that race this year it’s no surprise that it’s come up a full field.

“The horse is flying, Kementari, he’s drawn a mid gate and he’s going to run a very good race.”

Nash Rawiller rides Kementari on Saturday, he’s been on board five times for two wins and a third.

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