Lee Freedman is leaving his options open with promising young stayer Mount Everest.Freedman, who returned from the Gold Coast Magic Millions yearling sales on Monday, entered Mount Everest for the Special Dane Handicap (1800m) at Sandown on Wednesday.But the stable also nominated the Exceed And Excel colt for Sunday's Listed $80,000 Hobart Guineas (2100m) which attracted only eight entries.A stable spokesman said Freedman was trying to arrange transport to Hobart for Mount Everest.Acceptances fo

Lee Freedman is leaving his options open with promising young stayer Mount Everest.

Freedman, who returned from the Gold Coast Magic Millions yearling sales on Monday, entered Mount Everest for the Special Dane Handicap (1800m) at Sandown on Wednesday.

But the stable also nominated the Exceed And Excel colt for Sunday's Listed $80,000 Hobart Guineas (2100m) which attracted only eight entries.

A stable spokesman said Freedman was trying to arrange transport to Hobart for Mount Everest.

Acceptances for the Guineas close at 9am on Wednesday.

Freedman announced plans to aim the colt at the Group Three $200,000 Tasmanian Derby at Hobart on January 31 after he completed a winning hat-trick at Moonee Valley on December 19.

Ridden by apprentice Logan McGill, Mount Everest led all the way to score an easy 1-3/4 length win over Full Moon.

The colt is out of Zabeel mare Legible, who won the 2003 Sandown Classic (2400m), and Freedman fancies him as a progressive on-pace type who will be suited by the 2200m of the Tasmanian Derby.

Freedman has already won the Tasmanian Derby twice, with Party Boy in 2001 and Phantom Thief in 2005.

Dwayne Dunn rode Mount Everest when he won a Seymour 1600m maiden by 4-1/2 lengths on a heavy track on November 20 and again when he led all the way at Kyneton on December 2 before his Moonee Valley success.

But Matthew Allen has been engaged to ride him if he takes his place in Wednesday's eight-horse field in which he will carry topweight of 58kg.

Allen, who has ridden the colt once in his seven starts for a fourth, was aboard him when he was sharpened up with a six-length win in a Cranbourne 1550m barrier trial on January 5.

Freedman, who landed his 34th metropolitan winner in Victoria this season when $1.5 million yearling purchase Grand Jardin won at Caulfield on Saturday, leads the trainers' premiership race by four wins from David Hayes.

Freedman, chasing his seventh premiership, has seven runners at Sandown while Hayes has four.