The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable is yet to have a big impact in the short history of The Everest, but that could be about to change.

The co-trainers, who have made a flying start to the current racing season to lead the Sydney premiership, have Hawaii Five Oh and high-profile imported mare Alcohol Free in Saturday’s The Everest over 1200m at Randwick.

For the first time the race will carry total prizemoney of $20 million.

Waterhouse and Bott have only had two starters in the previous six runnings of The Everest, both finishing unplaced.

“We probably haven’t had the right horses to target it but this year I think we have two really live chances,” Bott said.

“It’s exciting in that regard. It’s a race we really wanted to be involved in.

“It’s really grown into such a spectacle and such a feature of Australian racing now and really captured everyone’s imagination.”

A crowd over just over 46,000 attended last year’s Everest meeting and a bumper crowd is expected again at Randwick for Sydney’s showpiece spring race day.

The Joe Pride-trained Think About It is on an eight-race winning streak and has shaded I Wish I Win for Everest favouritism since Tuesday’s barrier draw.

Think About It’s stablemate Private Eye is one of three horses returning for a second crack at the world’s richest race on turf after finishing second last year.

Mazu (third in 2022) and Overpass (sixth in 2022) are the others in Saturday’s 12-horse field to have competed in the race before.

Kerrin McEvoy is the most successful jockey in The Everest with three wins and has the ride on Golden Slipper-winning colt Shinzo, who is prepared by two-time Everest-winning trainer Chris Waller.

The Randwick track was in the good range on Friday with sunny conditions predicted for Saturday.