The Derby and Eagle can coexist and that's good for racing

Look, we all know that in racing, nothing is as simple as just black and white, even when it is Derby Day in Melbourne.

You know the Derby, they've run it for 168 years at Flemington, its seen centuries shut their eyes, defy depressions, world wars, pandemics and many trends.

Why, some men will deport themselves in a morning suit and a top hat, if only for the committee room invite, but then, now members can wear tailored shorts, the public, all 73,000 others can go as they liked. But they all traditionally do so on the Saturday that starts Cup Week yet lives on its own history as much as it adds to it annually.

Yes, there will be some vacuous podcasters, self-appointed influencers, space fillers, who trot out the old banal line that the Derby trip is too far (even after it's got this far!)

Try telling the wonderful Debbie Kepitis and her passionate family (husband Paul and daughters Lara and Tahlia) who were there on Saturday (trainer Chris Waller is in Sydney and I'm getting to that), as James McDonald gave the Hayes boys another photographic memory they didn't want when Riff Rocket knocked off Apulia, the week after he left them lamenting with Mr Brightside in the Cox Plate print on Romantic Warrior.

Derby Day with its three Group 1s and full black type supporting undercard had it all and delivered as much, and I'll get back to that too.

Derby Day is steeped in racing tradition. Pictured the mighty Phar Lap winning the 1029 VRC Derby

But I'm in Sydney on Derby Day for that upstart of a race worth more than tomorrow's Melbourne Cup, the $10m Golden Eagle, barely a year older as those who contest it, where the skies were a threatening grey, yet the occasion full of Sydney rebirthed spring bravado.

Racing New South Wales, under the unabashed stewardship of Peter V'landys has purposefully, I wouldn't say methodically, it has happened at much speed, re-imagined and then in your face redrawn Sydney in spring.

The Golden Eagle is one of the pinnacles that sits alongside The Everest and a raft of other popped up, tarted up, tinkered with races and their programming. There is (pun intended) no pattern to it.

But let me say, it works and on so many levels. It's not just a case of "you needed to be there", many already are, and that's a good thing.

Yet Golden Eagle Day make no claims other than for itself on Melbourne's Derby Day.

There is a $3 million Giga Kick, (which some may note with a little irony was won by Craig Williams on Bella Nipotina, he of course had steered Giga Kick to a famous Everest victory last year.)

They sit atop a basically midweek raft of benchmark 78's, a Class 3 Highway, a benchmark 68 Midway, and "Quality" Gold Cup tipping prizemoney over what's offered for "the purists" and their prizes at Flemington.

Something not missed by another (now) New South Welshman, Alan Jones, he grew up poor on the Darling Downs in Queensland, so poor the family couldn't afford a horse, he told us at the Carbine Club in Melbourne on Friday, but with a tip for Eye Liner in the Resiling (we are talking 1965), they ventured to Clifford Park racecourse to escape the "turgid farming life" of drought, and to "fill-up."

Jones of course has made his life talking a lot since then, broadcasting that is, but his passion for racing remains both personal and professional.

James McDonald and Debbie Kepitis celebrate after Riff Rocket won the Penfolds Victoria Derby Picture: Jay Town

But he worries about the Golden Eagle and Sydney's race into the spring, which he claims is Melbourne's domain by tradition, especially on Derby Day.

"Peter V'landys has done a wonderful job for racing," says Jones before adding: "While money is important, so too is tradition. It has to be honoured. You can't put money ahead of everything else.

"There are 365 days in the year, it ought to be possible to organise a $10 million race in Sydney that doesn't correspond with the great Victoria Derby."

Jones argues the enemy is not across borders, that the industry should be as one or at least find a meeting point to achieve positive objectives for all.

That argument is well put, but this is not a Middle East like crisis, as he suggested.

I say there can be a two-state solution without stealing land or territory simply based on ancient history. I saw that on Saturday.

Caulfield has already seen it too, embracing The Everest day alongside, not undermining their Guineas card.

It's not just about bottom line returns to industry, its fan engagement, the opportunities to seek a younger demographic audience, showcase the show, albeit on split free to air coverages on Derby (10) and Eagle (7) day that may be another subject.

As Sydney bookmaker Dave Dwyer noted from his Rosehill stand: "Great crowd and a lot of people, less than 25 having a bet. It's the second busiest day of the year now at Rosehill each year."

The weather wasn't totally kind, we are out west, but it was a bubbling day off the track. But for me, such theatre produces the storytelling that racing must embrace, no matter where it happens.

Both The Eagle and Derby Day write outrageous scripts, that's the beautiful thing about racing.

Take The Golden Eagle and the Japanese winner Obamburumai. Much is made of the internationals in the Melbourne Cup, year on year, we've never heard of them, so how does that help our racing or engagement.

But who'd heard of Obamburumai before The Golden Eagle? Even the passionate Japanese suggested he was about #25 on the 3YO hit parade (and giving away six months to out local stars like the eventually shattered box office front page hero Amelia's Jewel).

Yutake Take, a pop star in Japan where they love their horses, over 4000 winners, was meant to be here but for being kicked by a horse. Imagine the story for the Golden Eagle in Japan if he did the job Josh Parr stepped up to do.

It mattered not, Parr gave the lovely pre-race tweet back to Japan that he was doing it for them, and when he did, he said it didn't feel right that Take didn't.

It was pointed out that the win of Obamburumai, meaning "giver" apparently in some translation, was trending #3 in Japan (in all categories) after the win, nothing from Derby Day Melbourne where World Pools were playing into.

And then apart from Parr's beaming naturalism and life changing results, there was Tye Angland, his wheelchair bound manager and the link to the charity disposition of over $500,000 to the Riding For the Disabled as the horse partner. It all worked.

Take the Japanese angle (and perhaps one for Breakup in the Melbourne Cup. This year's five richest races: Panthalassa (Saudi World Cup), Ushba Tesoro (Dubai World Cup) and Equinox (Sheema Classic as winners of four of the five before Obamburumai joins in. Naturally Think About Its' Everest splits them up.

The Golden Eagle worked, with or without the Derby. But racing had more to share.

At Flemington there were the Ottobre's and the perfectly named Pride Of Jenni, there are lots of Jenni horses, winning the Group 1 Empire Rose, that's the Amelia's Jewel form, but the Jenni story so much more and always tugging at the heart.

Named after their daughter Jenni, who lost her life to brain tumour in 2015, a week or so away, or another lonely birthday just gone.

And remember it was Tony and Lynne Ottobre who started the Dean Holland fund raising page and put $100,00 of their own in before almost $2m was raised. That's not "just racing". That's commitment.

Like the Kepitis clan with their Riff Rocket Derby winner, loving bred, raised as Coolmore (race day sponsor) and carrying there Woppit (Nemo) silks. Whether it's Winx or a maiden at Dubbo, the passion remains the same. Bottling it would be priceless.

And Bjorn Baker, the Kiwi pharmacist, the son of Murray who knew a few things about Derby Day, giving an almost sacrilegious "Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi" chant in the winner's room after Ozzmosis took that Coolmore and changed lives of all those Darby Racing syndicate members with a few noughts on his value, that meant nothing at the time.

So an Eagle and a Derby Day can coexist and that's good for the game.

That game moves to a first Tuesday in November and betting suggests a man called Rich Ricci and his horse called Vauban wearing colours designed by his wife Susannah after one of her handbags will take the three handlined Loving Cup. I'd agree.

Back in Sydney, the V'Landys show is a Big Dance, worth $3 million, for country horses meeting in the city and the local papers carry "sweeps" for it, not that the other big race that once stopped a nation and spawned 31 other official meetings are run around the country and numerous other non-Tabs, and home parties and bulging pubs and clubs that say "yup to the cup".

All of which is a good thing for racing and moving it further and forward.