Tulip not in The Everest for practice

Trainer David Hayes will saddle three runners in the $10 million The Everest at Randwick.

Lindsay Park senior trainer David Hayes has issued a warning not to dismiss the youngest member of his trio of runners in The Everest.

Redkirk Warrior, Vega Magic and Tulip are part of the 12-horse field for the $10 million at Randwick on Saturday.

Vega Magic is the most fancied of the trio at $6 behind the $4.60 favourite She Will Reign.

Redkirk Warrior is a $9 chance while Tulip is the equal longest priced runner at $51 with Fell Swoop.

But Hayes said Tulip, who will be ridden by Tim Clark, is not making up the numbers.

After she finished fourth behind Alizee in the Tea Rose Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on September 16, the stable elected to keep the filly to sprints.

Hayes said there had been a lot of raised eyebrows with Coolmore’s decision to select Tulip for its slot in The Everest.

“She had a good two-year-old sprint record and she wasn’t far off She Will Reign in the Golden Slipper,” Hayes said.

“I tested her in private for the Coolmore team and lined her up against some of our other Group One sprinters like Sheidel.

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“That gave us a good guide at Lindsay Park and I can tell you she came through it with flying colours.

“She’s not there for practice.”

Coolmore’s original hope for the Everest, Caravaggio, has stayed home in Ireland while Tulip is a daughter of the breeding and racing operation’s stallion Pierro.

Hayes says Redkirk Warrior and Vega Magic have an edge on Tulip but the filly won’t be far away.

Redkirk Warrior and Vega Magic are already in Sydney and will gallop at Randwick on Monday while Tulip makes her way north later in the week.

Hayes said he would have preferred to have run Redkirk Warrior first-up in The Everest, but needed to show him up to secure a slot.

And he said in a normal year Vega Magic would be his top ranked sprinter.

“He’s got a tad of Manikato about him, a big chestnut,” Hayes said.

“He’s a big powerful sprinter and in a normal year the best sprinter I’ve had for quite a while, but Redkirk’s around and he’s pretty good too.”