DARREN Weir can’t understand why Nature Strip hasn’t yet secured a berth in The Everest.

“He’s the best sprinter I’ve ever trained and he should be in the race,” Weir said.

Weir already has one Everest runner, Brave Smash, who ran a first-up third in The Heath at Caulfield at the weekend.

He hopes Nature Strip can further his case for a start in the $13 million Everest, to be run at Randwick on October 13, by winning the Group 2 McEwen Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday.

There are two slots still vacant in the 12-horse Everest.

Although not yet in the race, Nature Strip is an $8 chance with TAB fixed odds behind Trapeze Artist at $4.50 and Redzel at $6.

Nature Strip, who will trial at Mortlake on Tuesday, has had 10 starts for seven wins and two seconds.

After the four-year-old’s last-start win in the 1050m Lightning Stakes in Adelaide by six lengths, his owners negotiated with an Everest slot-holder, but talks broke down.

Regular jockey Damian Lane was suspended by stewards on Saturday for 10 meetings and Mark Zahra will deputise in the McEwen.

Zahra was down to ride flying mare Snitty Kitty but jumped ship when Lane was suspended.

Henry Dwyer, trainer of Snitty Kitty, said he was concerned the mare and Nature Strip could engage in a speed battle but the race fitted her program nicely.

“If she was to run well, we would then run her in the Moir Stakes, so it might be worth a look at Moonee Valley,” Dwyer, who plans to keep Snitty Kitty to 1000m this preparation, said.

PREBBLE BACK NEXT TO OLIVER
DECORATED jockey Brett Prebble will return to a city track shortly to renew his riding career in Melbourne and he realises a lot has changed.

One thing he doesn’t intend to change after 15 years being based in Hong Kong is where he will sit in the jockeys’ room and that’s next to his great mate Damien Oliver.

“I’m not going to know many of the boys but I’ll get Vin Mills, the head valet, to get in early and get my spot next to Ollie. We’re good friends but we’ve also got a good rivalry,” Prebble said.

“I’m excited about it. It’s something I haven’t done for a long time ride here but I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to be a great challenge as a lot has changed here. I don’t know many of the jockeys or the trainers.”

Prebble last rode in Melbourne in 2004. He won two Melbourne Jockeys’ Premierships in 1999-2000 and 2000-2001.

He then embarked on a 15 year stint in Hong Kong where he won a coveted Jockey’s Premiership in 2010-2011.

He also finished second six times behind Douglas Whyte.

While in Hong Kong he’d regularly comeback to Melbourne and ride in feature races and he was successful in the 2012 Melbourne Cup on Green Moon

Prebble returns as a 40 year-old and is keen to get back into local racing. it,

He said he would be based at Flemington and would ride trackwork there but had no firm arrangement

MONDAY RACEBOOK

HOT TOPIC
WHO is Australia’s second best horse behind Winx?

Humidor again put up his hand to assume this position with his strong finishing effort to win the Memsie Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday.

He’s now won three Group 1 races and finished second in last year’s Cox Plate.

Darren Weir said he’s ironed out his racing kinks which had cost him in the past.

With that in mind you’d be surprised if he couldn’t land another Group 1 race.

He’s only six and has had only 28 starts so the best is still to come.

Having said that Weir had two other runners at Caulfield last Saturday who appear to be in a similar space to Humidor in Kings Will Dream and Nights Watch.

Kings Will Dream finished an unlucky third in the Memsie Stakes behind Humidor and has a stack of upside.

Night’s Watch was in an open handicap but managed to run a faster time than Humidor in the Memsie Stakes and went to the line hard held.

BURNING QUESTION
AMONG the jockeys ranks there is no question that they regard Damian Lane as the next big thing.

This was backed up when he was a recent winner of the Most Valuable Jockey at the Scobie Breasley awards which was voted on by the jockeys.

He hasn’t had a day like last Saturday before where he rode four winners. He’s in for a big spring.

STEWARDS’ CORNER
STEWARDS opened and subsequently adjourned an inquiry into John Allen’s handling of Big Duke in the Heatherlie Stakes. Stewards quizzed Allen regarding his round the turn, and the over the last 200m of the race.

Talented Godolphin mare Rillito bled for a second time and is now banned from racing in Australia.

An unusual protest in the west when star Willie Pike, who finished second on Man Booker in the Idyllic Prince Stakes at Belmont, lodged a protest alleging team riding from the first and third placegetters had stopped him winning.

The winner Rebel King, who was ridden by Mitch Pateman and third placegetter By Decree, ridden by Julien Kokotajlo, are both trained by Darren McAuliffe

Pike alleged the winner had been aided by his stablemate in the closing stages saying the third placegetter shifted out to allow Rebel King a clear passage

The protest was dismissed by stewards who said By Decree had a tendency to hang out.

SECTIONAL STARS
MRS Gardenia recorded the second fastest last 200m for the day coming home in 11.25sec when she dead-heated with her stablemate Bellaria.

The fastest last 400m and 200m for the day were recorded by the Lindsay Park-trained Ellicazoom when she won the final race. She recorded 22.42 seconds for the last 400m and 11.20sec for the last 200m.

Call Me Handsome used his speed in the early part of the race when he won the Heatherlie Stakes.

He recorded the fastest early sectionals for the meeting between the 1600m and the 1400m (11.40sec) and between the 1400m and the 1200m (11.72sec)

HORSES TO FOLLOW
THE immediate four horses who finished behind Call Me Handsome in the Heatherlie Stakes all ran well and are in for good preparations. They were Mr Garcia, Sin To Win, Vengeur Masque and Miss Admiration.

THE WEEK AHEAD
ALL eyes will be on Moonee Valley next Saturday with a spot in the Cox Plate one of the rewards for the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes. Mick Price will run Mighty Boss and Hiyaam.

Darren Weir has indicated brilliant Caulfield winner Night’s Watch will back-up.

The McEwen Stakes will feature Nature Strip and he’s likely to take centre stage next Saturday.