Voice of Racing Bruce McAvaney says Everest must be made a Group 1 race

Bruce McAvaney says it is crucial the Group 1 status for the $20m The TAB Everest is made official before the world’s richest turf race is run at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

Veteran sports commentator Bruce McAvaney is calling for The Everest to be made a Group 1 race as a matter of urgency. Picture: Getty Images

Bruce McAvaney, the voice of Australian sport, said racing had reached a crisis point on the eve of one of the biggest days on the turf calendar.

McAvaney said it was crucial the Group 1 status for the $20m The TAB Everest was made official before the world’s richest turf race is run at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

He also questioned the clash of The Everest with the $5m Caulfield Cup on the same day, and criticised the Australian Pattern Committee for introducing too many Group 1 races in recent years.

“We have come to the crisis point in one of the most important weeks of the year for racing,’’ McAvaney said.

“The time has arrived for something good to come out of this as I feel there is a sense of great frustration in the sport we love.’’

McAvaney, who hosts Channel 7’s race-day coverage, implored racing authorities to confirm if champion jockey James McDonald is riding for his 100th Group 1 winner in The Everest.

“If James McDonald was to ride the winner of The Everest, it could be a magical moment for the sport so this has to be sorted out before Saturday,’’ he said.

“Plus, it is important for the three colts in the race, Traffic Warden (Godolphin), Growing Empire (Yulong) and Storm Boy (Coolmore), as they are raced by some of the biggest racing and breeding operations in the world.

“There is no doubt the Everest and All Star Mile both deserve Group 1 status. I don’t think there is anyone in racing who could possibly argue they are not of Group 1 standard.

“The argument here is about transparency and also more about the flow-on to these other races that have the potential to be upgraded.

“I don’t think a race like The Shorts should be a Group 1, for example.’’

McAvaney then took aim at the Pattern Committee for allowing too many races to be upgraded to Group 1 level in the past 20 years.

“It is the Pattern Committee that has taken Australian racing to 74 Group 1 races. They have given all these ‘quarterfinals’ and ‘semi-finals’ Group 1 status,’’ he said. “The Pattern Committee needs to take responsibility for the mess we have got ourselves in with too many Group 1 races.’’

McAvaney suggested there should not be a Group 1 race run in Sydney or Melbourne each spring until the Golden Rose in late September.

This would mean races like the Winx Stakes, Memsie Stakes, Makybe Diva Stakes and others would revert to Group 2 level.

He also highlighted other examples like whether the Orr Stakes and Futurity Stakes – both weight-for-age races over 1400m at Caulfield in the autumn – should each have Group 1 status.

“There are many intelligent people in the sport and maybe we can come up with a good group to work on this,’’ McAvaney said.

“I think they could put a red line through about 25 races that should be not Group 1.’’

McAvaney said The Everest’s evolution in just eight years means the race is now considered among the five majors in Australian racing along with the Melbourne Cup, Cox Plate, Golden Slipper and Caulfield Cup.

But he said a clash between The Everest and Caulfield Cup should be avoided as it prevents the best jockeys from riding in both races.