Who’s who of Sydney celebrates at The Everest as Racing Minister pushes for group one status
From the Director’s Room to the Ballroom and the trackside hospitality marquees, a who’s who of Sydney’s social scene was in full flight at Royal Randwick. Here’s a behind the scenes look.
NSW
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News.
It was the Sam Burgess show at the 2023 TAB Everest at Royal Randwick - with the former South Sydney Rabbitohs enforcer winning Sydney Confidential’s ‘best and fairest’ award.
From the Director’s Room to the Ballroom and the trackside hospitality marquees, the 196cm ex-NRL star was seen all over the racecourse during Saturday’s festivities.
With partner Lucy Graham at home packing with their new bub Robbie, Burgess appeared to be making the most of his final days in Australia before the trio head to the UK where he will take on head coach duties at for Warrington.
Burgess moved seamlessly from free drinks to free food - and was spotted enjoying canapes with brother Luke in the Grand Ballroom VIP area, or strutting around the public areas with the much shorter Ant Middleton - of reality TV’s SAS Australia fame.
Burgess and Ant (the former British Special Forces soldier who looked like an ant in comparison) wore matching bone-white jackets on the day, presumably to help people recognise them.
Earlier, Burgess gave Today breakfast Karl Stefanovic host a bear hug in the Directors Room, hosted by Racing NSW chief exec Peter V’landys.
Stefanovic was having his own fun — much amused as he walked back and forth in the background of the Seven broadcast.
Former Sunrise host Sam Armytage was also in the Director’s Room with racehorse breeder husband Richard Lavender, NSW Racing Minister David Harris, media power couple Yvonne Sampson and Chris O’Keefe and Seven executive Sarah Stinson.
Sunrise host Natalie Barr was also there, as was fellow Seven TV host Matt Doran and his Nine exec wife, Kendall Bora.
“I love horse racing. My dad is a punter and he had shares in few horses when I was younger,” Doran said. “I love the theatre of the races. “She (Kendall) loves coming and watching all my tips lose.”
Much like any big wedding, organising tables in the Randwick Ballroom would have been an exercise in delicate diplomacy.
A handful of state Coalition members and former ministers sat in one pocket separated from Labor opponents (current and former) by a curtained wall.
The Coalition corner included upper house president Ben Franklin, opposition police spokesman Paul Toole. Former ministers included veteran Brad Hazzard (fresh from getting a skin cancer cut out of his ear), David Elliott, and Duncan Gay.
Hazzard was spotted in conversation with his successor - Labor health Minister Ryan Park, who was joined at the Labor tables by Regional NSW Minister Tara Moriarty.
Well down the other end of the room were a conclave of Nats, including: leader Dugald Saunders, Upper Hunter MP Dave Layzell, and whip Gurmesh Singh.
Retailer Gerry Harvey, resplendent in a pink floral Hawaiian tie, was in the Ballroom to cheer on his horse Hawaii Five Oh.
His co-owner John Singleton was next door in his own corporate box and promising to honour his pledge to shout more than 40,000 members of the public a drink if Hawaii Five Oh won.
Harvey was unimpressed by Singleton’s offer.
“That’s a problem because he makes those promises and then he sends me half the bill,” he said. “What do I do with half the bill? I warned the turf club here that they mightn’t get paid.”
His theory that it could result in legal action “lasting years” was not tested because Hawaii Five Oh finished sixth.
Jeweller Nic Cerrone, who designed The Everest trophy, was in the ballroom and celebrating the popularity of his design of a replica crown trophy for the new King Charles III Stakes.
The owners enclosure for The Everest provided its own dose of racing royalty with trainers including Gai Waterhouse’s partner Adrian Bott and his wife Jess, Winx trainer Chris Waller, heartbroken Overpass trainer Bjorn Baker and triumphant Joe Pride.
The Victoria Racing Club committee led by chairman Neil Wilson snubbed the Melbourne Racing Club’s Caulfield Guineas Day and hopped on a business class flight to Sydney for The Everest.
Board member Neil Werrett’s choice of Private Eye for his slot saw plenty of celebration in his corporate box when the Joe Pride trained gelding came third in The Everest.
Minister dials up calls for Everest to get coveted Group 1 status
Racing Minister David Harris has dialled up the pressure on Racing Australia to confer coveted Group One status on the TAB Everest, as record crowds flocked to the world’s richest race on turf.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal Mr Harris last week wrote to Racing Australia CEO Paul Eriksson in urging the body to consider “taking the necessary steps” to lift the Everest to a Group One race, “as part of a collaborative and constructive process for the betterment of thoroughbred Racing in Australia”.
A bitter feud between Racing NSW and Racing Victoria is blocking the world’s richest race on turf from becoming a top-ranked race.
The Victorian body has used its position to block the Everest getting the Group One ranking.
Racing NSW board member Tony Shepherd yesterday said was a “disgrace” and an “insult to racing nationally” that the Everest is does not have Group One status.
Mr Harris, who has advocated for the Everest to be elevated to racing’s top ranking, last week wrote to Mr Eriksson in a bid to break the impasse between Racing NSW and Racing Victoria.
The Minister said the race “deserved” Group One status.
A record crowd of 46,498 descended on Royal Randwick for the TAB Everest on Saturday.
Join the conversation
Australia’s Top End is truly hair-raising Territory for Bean team
The recreation of Francis Birtles’ epic 1927 drive from London to Melbourne has had some hair-raising moments across the globe — but Australia’s Top End topped the lot.
Read more
Back to work … for now: Court orders rail chaos to cease for a week
Commuters can breathe a brief sigh of relief - their trains services are back on track after Fair Work ordered industrial action cease until it can hear the case next week. Follow live
Read more