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By Ray Hickson

From the moment Dylan Gibbons was recruited to ride exciting sprinter Buenos Noches this spring he’s been the horse’s biggest advocate and he won’t be lacking in confidence going into Saturday’s $20m TAB Everest (1200m) at Royal Randwick.

After the four-year-old won the Show County first-up in August, Gibbons said post-race – “I think there’s a 1200m race in October that might suit him”.

Dylan Gibbons and Buenos Noches (Pic: Bradley Photos)

Then after his slashing third in the Shorts a month ago he quipped – “Any slot holders miss that - just remember that was 11(00)m”.

TAB didn’t miss it and soon after locked in the Matthew Smith-trained entire for their Everest slot.

Gibbons, who notched his first Group 1 win earlier this year in the Sydney Cup and turns 22 later this month, is rapt to have an Everest ride and said it’s even more special knowing he’s been entrusted by connections of Buenos Noches for the whole journey.

“If you said I was going to get a ride I probably wouldn’t care what price it was but throw into the mix it’s top four or five in the market it’s pretty cool and something I didn’t expect,’’ he said.

“Matt pulled me aside one day at Randwick and wanted to have a chat, he and the owners wanted someone who would stick with him for the prep.

“I knew he was running in a 1200m race on the 14th of October and now we’re in the world’s richest race on turf which is pretty cool.

“Looking at the horse’s form before I had anything to do with him, you could tell he was a high quality animal but probably still under rated. When he won the Show County, it wasn’t the strongest field but I thought he couldn’t have been any more dominant.

“People wanted to bag the opposition he’d run against then we took them head on in the 1100m race and you had people jump on saying he’s the winner now.”

Although Buenos Noches had recorded a Group 1 placing as a three-year-old there was a sense he had to show his wares at the top level and earn an Everest berth.

It’s probably fair enough and after the Show County win, over the Everest course, Gibbons said the plan was an all-or-nothing tilt at one of the major lead-ups, the Group 2 Shorts, to put his name in lights.

“We agreed the best plan was to take them on because he’d either race his way in or prove he’s not good enough,’’ he said.

“But he proved he is good enough and hopefully now on the big day he can show up for us.”

Smith sent Buenos Noches around in a mini-Everest trial at Rosehill on October 3, to bridge the gap from the Shorts, and he ran sixth with Overpass, Mazu, Shinzo, In Secret and King Charles runner Fangirl ahead of him.

It pleased Gibbons, who is confident the horse is right where he needs to be, and he’s now more concerned about what tempo there might be in the TAB Everest as opposed to what barrier he jumps from.

“I think he could be ridden anywhere but he’s casual out of the gates, he forces himself to be back,’’ he said.

“In a race like the Everest it might not be a bad thing. He’s not fully furnished, he still does a lot wrong and in his trial the other day it’s probably the most improvement he’s shown.

“It didn’t matter where he got to in the trial, I just wanted to leave him alone and let him find his feet. He picked up great and I loved how strong he was late.

“He didn’t have to go and win or try and prove he’s better than them that day but he proved enough to us that he’s going great guns.

“The sky’s the limit at the moment, as long as he keeps taking that next step forward at the high level he is it’s quite scary to think where he can get.”

A year ago, when Giga Kick won the TAB Everest, Gibbons watched the race from the fence.

Buenos Noches wins the Show County

So much has changed in that time, he’s one of two apprentices with rides in the world’s richest race on turf alongside Zac Lloyd – and on winning chances – and he’s looking forward to experiencing the race from the other side of the fence.

Of course, a young and confident rider like Gibbons has already spent a bit of time dreaming what it might mean to lift the trophy come late Saturday afternoon.

“Naturally you do and I did that a lot when I had my Group 1 rides early,’’ he said.

“It may not have the Group 1 status but the way the crowd gets around it is quite surreal.

“Knowing the magnitude of it I’m trying not to think about it too much but I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about what it would be like to win.”

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