First A$10M Everest Horse Race Sells All 12 Berths

Racing NSW CEO Peter V'landys "has moved mountains to get what he needs done, so The Everest was never going to be any more than a speed hump to negotiate once the administrator and the team at the Australian Turf Club set about establishing the new race," according to Brendan Cormick of THE AUSTRALIAN. And it is "not just any race." It is Australia's first A$10M ($7.7M) race. The Everest, to be run over 1,200m on Oct. 14 under weight-for-age conditions, is "built around a sweepstakes concept." The 12 slots, or berths, have all been sold. Each cost A$1.8M ($1.4M), providing the owners of each a slot for the '17, '18 and '19 runnings of the event. V’landys, "a social media debutant," said on Twitter, "It's only fitting that my first ever Tweet is to announce that all slots for The Everest have now been filled. Sydney now has a $10mil race!" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 3/29).