Inside a marquee at Randwick racecourse on Tuesday a man catapulted into the sky, motorbikes raced inside a metal ball and a woman launched herself off a swing.

At the end of each trick, a large drape fell to announce the gate each horse will start from at The Everest this Saturday. The Everest is the world’s richest horse race – outside the United Arab Emirates – with a prize pool of $20 million (more than double the Melbourne Cup).