Sold-out Randwick to party for running of first group 1 Everest

There will be a sell-out crowd to watch the first group 1 Everest winner being crowned at Randwick on Saturday.

The world’s richest race on turf, which is only in its eighth running, has never sold out four days out from race day before, and the crowd could top 50,000 at Randwick to watch the $20 million showcase and the King Charles III Stakes.

James McDonald holds his Everest trophy towards the crowd after winning on Nature Strip in 2021.Credit:

“This race is hitting the very high target that we set for it, and now it has received the fitting and deserved honour of group 1 status,” Racing NSW’s Graeme Hinton said.

“Two thirds of the sell-out crowd on Saturday will under 35, which is an entrance point for the next generation.”

Australian Turf Club chief executive Matt Galanos expects the crowd to exceed the 46,498 that saw Winx’s final race in 2019, and it will once again be a party atmosphere for Sydney’s biggest race day.

“The TAB Everest has become the hottest ticket in town and is attracting new fans in record numbers,” Galanos said.

“Saturday will set a new modern-day record number of patrons at Royal Randwick, eclipsing even the unprecedented final run of the immortal Winx.”

The Everest (1200m) will also carry group 1 status for the first time. Racing Australia confirmed the richest and highest-rating sprint in the world had earned and been given with the status.

“We have written approval from the Asian pattern committee and thus the Asian Racing Federation for The Everest and the All Star Mile to be granted Group 1 status effective immediately in a letter we received last week,” Racing Australia chief executive Paul Eriksson said.

“The letter could not be more clear, it said with immediate effect, so The Everest is a group 1 race. It is why we announced the two upgrades last week.”

While there was some conjecture about the group 1 status of The Everest following a fiery meeting of Racing Victoria officials and its stakeholders on Tuesday, Eriksson and Australia’s representative on the Asian Pattern Committee, Racing Queensland chief executive Jason Scott, could not be clearer about its status.

Eriksson said following the new black type protocols that the Racing Australia board unanimously approved, the All Star Mile and The Everest were put forward for group 1 consideration after meeting the rating standard.

“The Everest and All Star Mile have been ratified as group 1 races by the Asian Pattern Committee and the Asian Racing Federation,” Scott said.

“I was on the call when Winfried [Engelbrecht Bresges] announced they were both group1 races and said congratulations.”

Engelbrecht Bresges is the Hong Kong Jockey Club chief executive, ARF chairman and International Federation of Horseracing Authorities.

Racing Australia has not announced any other upgrades to group and listed racing, but Racing NSW has moved 12 of its races up in status this spring.

It has been six years since any race was upgraded in Australia after a stalemate between Racing NSW and Racing Victoria.

Sports news, results and expert commentary. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.