Giga Kick looks to All Aged test after encouraging TJ Smith run
The club’s slot has been operated by several parties, with the Melbourne Racing Club taking it one year and Bon Ho winning with Classique Legend during his three-year ownership.
The ATC has made approaches to high-profile owners in the past six months asking if they would be interested in taking the slot for the next couple of years.
There have been queries through Racing NSW from overseas racing businesses interested in taking up a slot with a view to bringing a sprinter from a different country to Australia for the world’s biggest sprint.
Racing NSW remains committed to lifting the prizemoney for The Everest from $15 million to $20 million in the future, which would attract more interest from around the world.
Hong Kong Jockey Club chief executive Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges was a guest of Racing NSW for Saturday’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes meeting, and the heavy hitter is keen to increase synergies between the jurisdictions and see the World Pool tote operating on Sydney’s biggest meeting within the next year.
It shows the once-frosty relationship between the Hong Kong Jockey Club and Racing NSW is thawing, which will open up options for further revenue streams for racing in NSW.
Hong Kong and Japan bet on the Queen Elizabeth Stakes in their own pools on the weekend, but Engelbrecht-Bresges would like to see the meeting as part of the growing World Pool circuit next year.
The World Pool has operated at Royal Ascot, the Dubai World Cup and Flemington’s Lightning Stakes meeting in February and is a way of giving the sport a worldwide identity.
“This is a great meeting with interest added by horses from overseas and it would be the perfect meeting for the World Pool,” Engelbrecht-Bresges said. “We need to build the sport around the world and these type of meetings attract attention everywhere.
“If you have two betting markets on this race, they would be different in England and in Australia, so with the World Pool we are creating a completely different value proposition and liquidity for punters.
“So we are working to have this meeting and the top meeting here at Randwick as World Pool meetings.”
Engelbrecht-Bresges has hinted the two racing bodies could work together to get horses for their major meetings at this time of year with Hong Kong have two big meetings at the end of April and beginning of May.
“It is very hard for Hong Kong horses to come down here for these races and then return back for our races,” he said. “But a horse like Dubai Honour can win the Queen Elizabeth Stakes and then can come to our Queen Elizabeth II Cup for very good prizemoney. It is a good package to offer to horses.”
McDonald, Moreira share Nathan Berry Medal
The Championships didn’t go to plan for Sydney’s champion jockey James McDonald but his wins in the Arrowfield Stud Stakes and Provincial Midway Championship on Saturday were enough to share the Nathan Berry Medal with Joao Moreira for the carnival’s best jockey.
The medal, named for the Magic Millions-winning Sydney jockey who died in 2014, is highly prized by hoops. Jockey valet Chris Barrett, who stood in for the disqualified Tommy Berry, presented McDonald and Moreira with their medals.
“It is something that you don’t think about, but when you win it is very special because we all remember Nathan,” said McDonald, who took his third medal.
Don Corleone looks for Champagne finish
Peter and Paul Snowden will hope to finally get a group 1 with Don Corleone in Saturday’s Champagne Stakes after running in every big dance this season.
The son of Extreme Choice was luckless Blue Diamond runner-up before running fourth in the Golden Slipper and was second again in the Sires Produce Stakes behind Champagne favourite Militarize.
“He is very tough and is standing up to it very well,” Paul Snowden said. “There are not many horses that can do what he has done in those group 1 races and he deserves his chance to win one. His work continues to be good and the mile is going to suit him.”
