King Charles III keen to visit Royal Randwick next year for the race named in his honour on Everest Day
The King Charles III Stakes is the highest rated mile race in Australia this year and the monarch could be a visitor to Royal Randwick see the race named in his honour in 2024.
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The odds are shortening that King Charles III will be in attendance on Everest Day at Royal Randwick next year.
Racing NSW chairman Russell Balding told Racing Confidential the monarch is keen to be on track for the 2024 The Everest meeting and watch the Group 1 race named in his honour.
“Following our private meeting with the King at Royal Ascot, we’re quietly confident of him attending the race next year,” Balding said.
The inaugural running of the King Charles III Stakes is the highest-rated 1600m race run so far this year.
Timeform gave the King Charles, formerly known as the George Main Stakes and won so brilliantly by Cox Plate hopeful Fangirl, a 123.3 race rating.
This ranks the King Charles just ahead of the 123.2 ratings returned by the Makybe Diva Stakes won by Alligator Blood earlier in the spring and the Chipping Norton Stakes when Anamoe defeated Fangirl back in autumn.
By way of comparison, The Everest won by Think About It recorded a lofty race rating of 126.3, the second highest in its seven renewals behind only 2020 edition won by Classique Legend on 126.4.
Fangirl recorded a new peak Timeform rating of 121 in the King Charles which exceeded former stablemate Verry Elleegant’s 119 rating after her 2021 George Main Stakes win.
But these ratings pale into comparison with all-time great Winx’s towering figure of 129 she returned winning a third successive George Main in 2021.
Fangirl is attempting to emulate Winx (2016-17-18) and Anamoe (2022) as recent winners of the George Main (now King Charles)-Cox Plate double.
The only other horse to win both races was the legendary Kingston Town in 1981-82.
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The Everest minor placegetter, Private Eye, continues his preparation for the $3 million Giga Kick Stakes (1300m) with a barrier trial hitout at Royal Randwick on Friday.
Private Eye is usually a lazy trackworker and needs the 900m trial hitout to be primed for the rich Rosehill sprint on November 4.
However, stablemate and Everest hero Think About It won’t be trialling as the superstar sprinter goes too hard in a competitive environment which is why Pride almost always gives the gelding solo workouts at Warwick Farm.
Epsom Handicap winner Rediener and last start Silver Eagle winner Vienna Princess are also due to trial over 900m ahead of next week’s $10 million Golden Eagle (1500m).
Former European gallopers, the Chris Waller-trained Age Of Kings (Golden Eagle), the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Zoology (Golden Eagle), and Annabel Neasham’s Jimi Hendrix ($2 million Five Diamonds at Rosehill on November 11) are contesting a 1030m heat.
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This striking image of champion jockey Hugh Bowman wearing the famous Winx racing colours has won a major art prize.
Racing enthusiast Debbie Heeley’s painting of Bowman won two categories including the major overall award at the 45th annual Camden Art Exhibition.
Heeley, who works in race vision production and has been a regular on Sydney racetracks for 30 years, is a hobby painter but never expected her traditional oil painting to win the coveted prize.
Her painting of Bowman was a labour of love and took her about four months to complete.
“Hughie is very approachable and I asked him one day whether I could do his painting,” Heeley revealed.
“Because of his association with Winx, Hugh is very recognisable and I thought even people outside of racing would know who he is.
“We met up after the barrier trials at Randwick one morning and he had Winx’s colours with him so I took a number of photos which I used to help me with his painting.
“I feel very humbled and honoured to have won the award.”
Camden Council sponsors the exhibition and gets to acquire Heeley’s work to hang permanently in its gallery.
“But I have done another painting of Hughie that I will give to him when he is back in Sydney,” she said.
Bowman rode Winx in 33 races, winning 32 including a world record 25 Group 1 wins.
The champion jockey rides in Hong Kong these days and is this season’s early leader in the jockey premiership with 20 wins, four clear of titleholder Zac Purton.
But Bowman is suspended until November 11 which gives Purton the chance to regain the Hong Kong premiership lead.
Purton has returned to Australia to ride at The Valley on Saturday where his mounts include Fangirl in the Group 1 $5 million Cox Plate.
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Imperatriz, the brilliant New Zealand sprinter, is a hot favourite to complete a grand slam of feature Valley sprints on Saturday.
TAB Fixed Odds price assessors are taking no chances with Imperatriz who is the $1.45 favourite to win the Group 1 $2 million Manikato Stakes (1200m).
The Mark Walker-trained Imperatriz is exceptional around The Valley where she has raced three times for three brilliant wins – William Reid Stakes last autumn and her exceptional efforts in McEwen Stakes and Moir Stakes this spring. No sprinter has ever won all four of The Valley’s feature sprints although Manikato did win the William Reid-Moir-Freeway Stakes treble in 1982.
The Freeway was later renamed after the great Manikato.
Imperatriz could even challenge the legendary is Vain’s record as the shortest-priced favourite to win the race. Vain was at $1.33 when he won in 1969.
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New Zealand Bloodstock representative and legendary Group 1-winning jockey Brent Thomson received recognition for his services to racing this week when receiving the Victorian Club Service to Racing Award.
The Victorian Club is an exclusive members club that has always had a deep affiliation with racing, and the associated award with rich history of top racing identities.
Thomson, affectionately known as “The Babe” rode Dulcify to Cox Plate glory for renowned trainer Colin Hayes who also features on the prestigious award list.
Led to believe he was attending the awards lunch to celebrate Family of Man, the horse Thomson claimed the second of his four Cox Plate victories on, admitted it was a shock when he realised he was the recipient of an award.
“I was a bit blown away as they got me there under false pretences,” an elated Thomson said.
“I could not think of a more worthy recipient for this award,” commented NZB Director of Business Development Mike Kneebone.
“He’s a Kiwi national treasure.”
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