Australia putting us to shame as new £2.6million race named in honour of King Charles shows how to do racing right

The US Sun

17 July 2023

Australia putting us to shame as new £2.6million race named in honour of King Charles shows how to do racing right

BRITISH racing will never have an audience to match the enthusiasm one experiences in Australia - mainly because of you lot reading this!

Quite simply, the United Kingdom is a country full of moaners.

If you can be miserable you love it. You love to complain. You love to pick holes in everything.

At least that is the case for most of those on social media. Hardly anything is praised. Most days, it’s all about slating someone or something.

And if you do praise, the chances are whatever you write will be followed by a dozen messages saying that all the positives you have picked out are wrong.

Incidentally, I’m not talking about standing up against things that are wrong. Or having beliefs. Just constant moaning.

In general, bar of course sprinters, our top horses in Europe are in a different league to those in Australia.

But in every sense, Australian passion and support for horse racing is on a totally different level to this country.

A classic example of this is what is happening with Australia’s big money sprint at Randwick in October.

There will be a royal endorsement for The Everest dash after Racing NSW chief executive Peter V’landys met with King Charles III at Royal Ascot and got approval to name a race in His Majesty’s honour.

V’landys showed the King the program for Royal Randwick on October 14, which will be highlighted by the world’s richest sprint, The Everest, with prizemoney for the race lifted to an eye-watering $20million (£10.4m).

As a result, the other main feature will be the first race named in honour of the new monarch, the King Charles III Stakes to be run over 1600m, worth $5m.

“The King was very chuffed that we have named a feature race after him on Everest Day,” V’landys said.

“He has certainly got the racing bug after having a winner at Royal Ascot. I’m very confident after talking to him that he will come to the race in the next few years.”

Prize money for the Everest is one thing, but it’s the crowd that go to the event that is fascinating.

The Everest attracts a new breed of young racegoers, with more than half of the 50,000-odd people who go to the day under the age of 35.

This is put down to outstanding promotion and marketing but also the fun of dressing up for an occasion and singing and having fun on the day.

Sweet Caroline was a huge hit voiced by all after the last Everest.

Remember Jockey Club Racecourses have just done away with dress codes in the UK. Yet in Australia it’s proven that putting your smart clothes on is one of the things that attracts young people to the sport. Enough said.

Over here we are so sad about it all. Stick any fashion on TV racing shows and the racing moaners on Twitter go into meltdown.

If you tried to get the crowd singing few would, Royal Ascot band stand apart, and many would complain.

That’s the nation we are.

On Eclipse day I was asked by the powers that be to pull four people out the crowd to use them as ‘human’ horses with the idea of showing how the tactics might pan out in the big race.

Obviously anything like that is thwart with danger, as you only need one runner to miss the break and everything goes wrong.

But you use all the form and knowledge you have to hand, so you can put together an intelligent plan.

As hoped, West Wind Blows went to the front and Dubai Honour was dropped out.

Paddington and Emily Upjohn raced in opposing positions to what I expected, but that was no surprise and particularly so after Emily Upjohn was sluggish in the early stages.

The reaction on Twitter?

@TheracingMan8 wrote: “ITV really did hit a (should have been ‘an’) all time low this afternoon. I am aware ITV have to entertain but not sure to patronise. Discuss proper data.”

While @georgemcdonah: “This is simply absolutely tripe coverage.”

And that’s the world we live in. As it happens proper data could not have predicted anything more than the quick segment did, as it used proper data.

Indeed, arguably there was much more to it in terms of prediction than any data might have put forward as I had spoken to those involved and what they might or might not do.

In a nutshell there you have why Australian racing thrives. The people are upbeat and enthusiastic - happy to experience fun and mix a day at the races with the serious part of the sport.

Alas in the UK people spend so much of their lives in misery. It’s hard to know how racing can ever grow a young fanbase in that scenario. Cheer up everyone!