At The Track: Sydney racing scores with Everest slot deal
The Australian Turf Club's decision to lease their Everest slot to Hong Kong Jockey Club for at least two years is a coup for Sydney racing.
The deal ensures that barring injury or some unforeseen circumstance, the world's number one-ranked racehorse, Hong Kong's superstar sprinter Ka Ying Rising, will contest the Group 1 $20 million The TAB Everest at Royal Randwick on October 18.
Hall of Fame trainer David Hayes has also indicated Ka Ying Rising will stay in Sydney for the $3 million Russell Balding Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill Gardens two weeks later.
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ATC will benefit financially from the World Pool, the international commingling parimutuel betting operation which is managed by HKJC and will be available to punters on Everest Day.
There is also speculation the World Pool will be added to more Sydney race meetings next season, most notably Golden Slipper Day which boasts five Group 1 races.
HKJC executive director of racing, Andrew Harding, told Hong Kong media the club has secured the ATC's Everest slot for two years with an option to extend.
'For this year, the club will use the slot to enable Ka Ying Rising to take part in The Everest,'' Harding told South China Morning Post.
'In future years, we will use the slot to either facilitate a Hong Kong horse running or to target Australian or New Zealand sprinters to come onto the Hong Kong International races after The Everest.''
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Ka Ying Rising joins Briasa (slot holders Max Whitby, Neil Werrett and Col Madden) and Private Harry (Yulong) as confirmed Everest starters.
Sunshine In Paris, owned by Everest slot-holder John Camilleri of Fairway Thoroughbreds, is also being set for the big race.
This leaves eight slots remaining and competition for an Everest start will be fierce – but not everyone is happy.
A leading Sydney trainer contacted At The Track incensed that ATC had not used their slot for an 'ATC trained horse'.
'Surely that's the idea of a slot,'' the trainer said. 'That's like Wayne Bennett picking a player from another club for the grand final. What a disgrace.''
The trainer's disappointment is understandable but the financial benefits to ATC for leasing their slot HKJC and having the World Pool alignment on Everest Day is considerable, and the club wants the best possible field for the world's richest turf race so securing Ka Ying Rising was the number one priority.
■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Is Coolmore's three-year-old filly Minnie Hauk, winner of the English Oaks yesterday, the most valuable potential broodmare still racing?
Minnie Hauk, a daughter of English superhorse Frankel and closely related on her dam's side to another champion, Kingman, was purchased for about $A4 million as a yearling at the Goffs Orby Sale and her Oaks win means she is now a priceless broodmare once her racing days are over.
The regally-bred Minnie Hauk gave Irish training genius Aidan O'Brien his 11th Oaks win when she defeated her stablemate Whirl.
■ ■ ■ ■ ■
The US triple crown isn't on the line but the final leg of the famous series, the Belmont Stakes, takes on special significance with the return clash of Godolphin's Sovereignty and Coolmore's Journalism in New York on Sunday morning.
Sovereignty won an epic Kentucky Derby from Journalism last month but missed the second leg, the Preakness Stakes.
In his absence, Journalism scored an incredible Preakness win and is early favourite with TAB Fixed Odds for the Belmont at $2.60 with Sovereignty pressing at $2.80.
Originally published as Australian Turf Club partners with Hong Kong Jockey Club in landmark deal for their slot in The Everest
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