The first two entries for the world's richest horse race on turf at Royal Randwick in Sydney on Saturday, October 19, have been confirmed.
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Group 1 winner In Secret finished fourth behind Think About It in the $20 million event in 2023 and will be back for another crack this year.
Western Australia's star juvenile Bustling will also line up in the sprint race, which is set to be staged for the eighth time in 2024.
The Everest has become one of the biggest betting events of the year in racing, with World Pool betting helping to fire it into a different stratosphere.
Many of the leading Australian horse racing betting sites are already offering odds on the race, with recent Kingsford Smith Cup winner I Wish I Win at the head of the market.
Previous winners Giga Kick and Think About It are also prominent in the ante-post betting, although their participation in the race has yet to be confirmed.
In Secret will be in the line-up, with owners Godolphin confirming the filly will take her chance after finishing third behind I Wish I win at Eagle Farm earlier this month.
"She will be running in The Everest for us, provided she holds her form," trainer James Cummings said.
"Having our own slot means we can change our minds if something was to show it was a better option than In Secret but, at the moment, she is clearly our best option and is our Everest horse.
"That's why she has gone for a spell after Saturday, so we can get the perfect preparation for The Everest."
In Secret has run some fine races in defeat since claiming victory in the Group 1 Yulong Stud Newmarket Handicap at Flemington Racecourse in March 2023.
She will be joined in The Everest by Western Australian gelding Bustling, who was recently snapped up by east coast connections in a deal worth around $2 million.
Trainer Michael Kent Jnr believes the son of Frosted is capable of building on the promise he has shown as a juvenile and thinks he will improve with age.
"We think he would be a very suitable horse for The Everest," Kent Jnr said. "Three-year-olds do have a good record in the race.
"We think he is a horse that is able to absorb pressure and find again which is what you need for that race and he has obviously had a good grounding and seasoning as a two-year-old."
Kent Jnr and co-trainer Mick Price saddled Jacquinot to finish fifth in The Everest in 2022 and have been eager to find a sprinter capable of winning the race.
Bustling has looked exceptional in Western Australia and should give new part-owners Max Whitby and Neil Werrett a good run for their money at Royal Randwick.
"He came on our radar a couple of starts ago," Kent Jnr added. "I admit, I don't watch every Perth race, but he is pretty hard to miss.
"I think he is doing things two-year-olds don't normally do and is certainly most exciting. He seems to have a lot of speed and also stamina, even showing he can get 1400m on his last start.
"I am glad we are able to secure this horse and I could not speak highly enough of the team selling her, who have been fantastic."
Yes Yes Yes (2019) and Giga Kick (2022) were previous three-year-old winners of the race, and Bustling may well add to that tally.
Previous trainer Daniel Morton has retained a share in Bustling and he will continue to oversee the preparations before the horse is shipped to New South Wales later this year.
Kent Jnr plans to give the horse a couple of runs in Melbourne and Sydney before the big race, and his odds would be slashed if he continues to deliver impressive performances.
Whether Bustling will be able to be competitive against more experienced opponents is open for debate, but Kent Jnr is confident the horse will do himself justice.
"I really do believe there is a changing of the guard in the sprinting ranks at the moment and the country is looking for its next star sprinter," Kent Jnr said.
"I am not sure if he will be it but he is certainly a chance and these horses you have to go and find and he is very exciting prospect for the stable."
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