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By Ray Hickson

The Kiwis are banding together in a bid to take the TAB Everest crown back across the Tasman with the Peter Moody trained I Wish I Win securing a berth in the $20m sprint.

Mark Chittick (Pic: Trish Dunell)

The star sprinter has already taken the $10m Golden Eagle and the $3m TJ Smith Stakes trophies back to Waikato Stud in New Zealand and a TAB Everest win would be the icing on the cake.

That’s the hope Waikato’s Mark Chittick, who owns the horse in partnership with Moody, will carry with him through to the big race at Royal Randwick October 14.

Inglis passed its Everest slot on to Entain and the New Zealand TAB for 2023, the slot will be known as Trackside, and Chittick said it’s fitting a New Zealand group is getting behind a locally bred horse.

“I didn’t think I’d have to learn the ins and outs of the Everest but this opportunity has come along which is unbelievable,’’ Chittick said.

“It’s been an intense couple of months with different slot holders.

“We tied it all up a week or 10 days ago but now for it to be all off my chest and out there is a great feeling. We’re counting down, 99 days to go, and we’re extremely excited.

“The amount of text messages I’ve had about it is just quite incredible, the country is right behind it.”

I Wish I Win started his career in New Zealand with Jamie Richards and has been a revelation since he joined the Moody stable going into this season, winning four of his seven starts for Black Caviar’s trainer.

The New Zealand TAB is now in a partnership with Entain and its NZ managing director Cameron Rodger said securing the slot for Trackside presents a huge opportunity to shine a light on NZ racing by participating in the world’s richest race on turf.

It's a deal that promises to place the Everest at the forefront of New Zealand punters' minds from now and into the spring.

"We see it as a pretty big moment and hopefully the dawn of a new area over here as well,'' Rodger said.

"This race is one that we’ve watched the meteoric rise of and it’s one we can do a lot more with so we’ve been itching at the chance to get involved.

"It’s a race that has captured the imagination over in Australia and it has to a point here but we think we can get this whole country behind it.

"To get one of our own Kiwi bred horses in there, and the Waikato Stud connection with Mark Chittick, it’s kind of perfect for us."

I Wish I Win lowered the colours of Everest champ Giga Kick in winning the TJ Smith Stakes back in April and is second favourite at $5 in TAB’s all-in market.

He’s the fourth horse locked away for the 1200m sprint alongside Giga Kick (James Harron Bloodstock), last year’s third placegetter Mazu (The Star & Arrowfield) and emerging star Think About It (Newgate/GPI).

I Wish I Wins's TJ Smith Stakes victory

Chittick said while it was widely expected the rising five-year-old would find his way into the field it’s a relief to have the deal done and now it’s over to Peter Moody to prepare the horse.

“It was always heading that way but just to know that it’s all set in stone is great,’’ he said.

“All Peter said to me is he wants to follow the same pattern as he did into the TJ Smith which was his third run.”

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