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By Ray Hickson

Jockey Jay Ford can’t believe how quickly people have dropped off two time TAB Everest placegetter Private Eye in the lead up to Saturday’s race.

Jockey Jay Ford (Pic: Bradley Photos).

It’ll be Ford’s first rife in the Group 1 $20 million TAB Everest (1200m) when he’s legged aboard the seven-year-old at Randwick, remarkable given his long association with one of Australia’s great sprinters in Takeover Target albeit well before the Everest concept was born.

While Private Eye, second as a $12 chance in 2022 and third at $7 last year, has missed a place in his two lead ups Ford is adamant he’s still got what it takes.

“That’s the way I’m looking at it,’’ he said.

“He’s a strong hope and just knowing him and the way he goes about his business I feel he’s a real competitive chance.

“His runs have been enormous, I feel he is going as well as he’s ever gone. He’s up to that mark still.”

Private Eye’s trainer Joe Pride made an early move after the barrier draw of 10 saying the gelding will be ridden forward in the Everest.

In both starts this spring he’s jumped well then drifted a long way back, particularly last start in the Group 2 The Shorts (1100m) where he found himself back last on the turn.

He finished sixth, running 32.97 for his last 600m (Punter’s Intelligence) and the fastest last 200m of 11.19, but Ford said his efforts have to be given due recognition.

“His closing sectionals in both runs back have been tip top,’’ he said.

“In the lead up races it’s been a premium to be up and in and he just hasn’t drawn the right barriers to be in those positions. We’re presented with a similar dilemma with where he’s drawn.

“Hopefully we can get him mobile and put him in that prominent spot and I think going to that 1200m is going to be more accommodating for him.

“I’m looking forward to riding him because I know we’ve got a horse that’s really going well.

“Through circumstances of race shape in his last two that he hasn’t got as close as we’d hoped but everything else reads the horse is going great guns.”

Following his run in the Shorts, Pride elected to take a punt that Private Eye, $26 with TAB on Friday, would earn a TAB Everest slot and it came via the Max Whitby/Neil Werrett/Col Madden group that selected him a year ago after their original runner Bustling was ruled out.

He ran a close third behind Lady Of Camelot in a trial early last week to top off his Everest preparation and Ford said it was good work.

“Joe decided after his second up run to go that month into the Everest, or the Sydney Stakes if he didn’t get into the Everest, and he felt great and moved well,’’ he said.

“He’s not a particularly great trialler but he trialled well for his standards.

“He was pretty upbeat about himself, he’s a happy horse and he’s going well. We just need a little bit of luck and if he gets that luck, the way he’s going at the moment, it presents him with an opportunity to be very competitive.”

Ford’s mount in the $2 million The Kosciuszko (1200m) also falls under the forgotten horse category and he’s expecting Bandi’s Boy to run his best preparation in the country feature.

It’s been a stop-start campaign with a missed run, but he’s contested two Group 3s and a Group 2 and taken on the likes of Joliestar, I Am Me, Bella Nipotina and company.

Private Eye runs third in a Randwick trial on October 8

While he finished last in the Premiere Stakes (1200m) two weeks ago Ford was happy enough with being beaten 3.6 lengths by Airman. He’ll be wearing concussion plates on front in Saturday’s race.

“He blew out the last portion of that race but I think he’s bang on track,’’ he said.

“His last two runs he’s taken on horses going to an Everest and he’s beaten three and four lengths. I know Bandi’s Boy at his best this is the sort of race he’d be up to his ears in.

“When he won that Group 3 he showed he’s a stakes horse and that’s the sort of horse you want for a Kosciuszko. There’s quite a few chances in it and I feel he’s one of them.”

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