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By Ray Hickson

If Eduardo is going to win a TAB Everest both trainer Joe Pride and jockey Nash Rawiller believe 2022 could be his year.

Of course there’s still the Nature Strip hurdle to get over at 1200m but the nine-year-old struck the first blow in the TAB Everest build up when he turned the Group 3 $500,000 Southern Cross Group Concorde Stakes (1000m) into a one horse race.

Eduardo finished second last in his first Everest attempt two years ago and was third behind Nature Strip last year but Pride says he’s dealing with a different horse and one he’s sure will be a force to be reckoned with when the $15 million feature is run on October 15.

“He’s come back better than ever, he’s heavier than he’s ever been and you’ll see that reflected in his race performances,’’ Pride said.

“That was superb. I’m never nervous with this horse but I was starting to believe what people were saying (about his age). I know he’d only had 27 starts, I was starting to believe he’d had 50. It was getting inside my head. But he’s a classy horse.

“Testing conditions first-up and he was taking on a bunch of horses who were lauded to be on the way up. For a horse to beat this horse they’ve got to be at that grade and for up and comers it’s very hard to get to where him and Nature Strip are.”

On the back of the win Eduardo, who runs in the Yulong Investments slot, firmed to $8 equal second favourite in the TAB Everest. It was his 12th win from 28 starts and took his prizemoney to just under $6.8 million.

Despite a betting drift in the Concorde, there were no nervous moments for Pride as his star controlled the race outside the leader Malkovich before breaking away to a 2-1/2 length win over Athelric with 1-3/4 lengths to 2019 Kosciuszko winner Handle The Truth who arrived for third.

Pride said his nervous moments came during the week but the race itself was an easy watch.

“If I hadn’t believed what everyone was saying I thought it was won when I put a nomination in on Monday,’’ he said.

“Doubt creeps in, you have a whole week to think about, but I just believe in this horse’s ability.”

Pride confirmed Eduardo will tackle the Group 2 $1 million The Shorts (1100m) on September 17 then go straight into the TAB Everest with a month between runs.

Rawiller, who won’t be on board for Eduardo’s second-up run in two weeks due to suspension, described the gelding’s performance as classy and evidence he’s come back a better horse.

“He was always in control. To be fair I don’t think he has travelled like that in a race for a long time,’’ he said.

“He was fit and well and wanted to show them who was boss.

“He’s going as good as ever. Who knows, he is sort of due for things to fall into place in a big one so maybe this is his year.”

Handle The Truth's trainer Keith Dryden was rapt with his horse's performance as he aims for a fourth shot at The Kosciuszko while Danny Williams gave Shelby Sixtysix a mark for his effort, considering he had said pre-race he would be vulnerable, with his last 50m his best work.

Eduardo wins the Concorde Stakes

What the beaten jockeys said:

Hugh Bowman (Athelric): “Lovely return from him. On track for a good prep.”

Tyler Schiller (Handle The Truth): “He was enormous today. He’s not a 1000m horse and he’s flown to the line.”

Jason Collett (Shelby Sixtysix): “Needed the run.”

Rachel King (Malkovich): “Really super run. He hates that wet track. But a good first up effort.”

Tim Clark (Zapateo): “She had a beautiful run tracking the winner. Just on that ground she wasn’t able to use her turn of foot.”

James McDonald (Andermatt): “Really good run. He’s boxed on well and peaked on the line on very testing ground. He was entitled to.”

Tommy Berry (Rocketing By): “Struggled in the ground.”

Check out the replays and results from Royal Randwick