Good times never seemed so good for promoters of The Everest, as last weekend's sixth running achieved unprecedented success. Who'd have believed that a race would come along to attract Sydney's biggest modern-day racetrack crowd, as 46,211 fans swooned to Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline while the field warmed up for the world's richest race on turf! Attendance eclipsed the 43,833 who witnessed Winx's swansong in the 2019 Queen Elizabeth Stakes, when the record-setting mare farewelled the sport with her 33rd consecutive victory. This Friday night, the “Everest Carnival” continues at Sydney's Royal Randwick with another recently conceived multi-million-dollar race, The Invitation, and the time-honored G1 Spring Champion Stakes. First post is at 9.30 p.m. Eastern or 6.30 p.m. Pacific.
It was in the Spring of 1979 that my all-time favorite horse, Kingston Town, announced himself with a first of fourteen (14!) Group One wins in the Spring Champion Stakes. En route, “The King” had captured the G2 Gloaming Stakes, the traditional prep which has produced 10 of the past 20 Spring Champion winners. The 2022 Gloaming was part of the Randwick card that was rained out two weeks ago. The race was rescheduled four nights later – at a different, tighter track which required the distance to be shortened by a furlong (to one mile). This was always going to play against Williamsburg, who was reachin' out to finish a close 3rd in an effort that delighted trainer Gerald Ryan under the circumstances. Williamsburg (9-2) is out of G1-winning mare Fenway, who registered multiple Group/Graded placings at the Spring Champion's 1-1/4 miles.
“He has the distance written all over him,” Ryan declared enthusiastically, “and is going super. It's got me beat why he's not favorite.”
With a neck covering three horses, the Gloaming was won by Sharp 'N' Smart (6-1) who capitalized on a perfect trip and gamely repelled longshot Matcha Latte. The latter's effort was full of merit after being last into stride, then rushing forward while racing fiercely, before his rider dropped the whip mid-stretch. While the distance is a query, Matcha Latte is worth a contemplative sip at 14-1 if he can overcome the greenness of his antioxidant-rich namesake.
Numerous alternative formlines make this year's Spring Champion a challenging, value-filled race. Favoritism is held by Elliptical (7-2), a hard-charging second in a blanket finish to a recent Melbourne G1 race. Elliptical has competed only four times and never in the clockwise Sydney direction (which mirror the circumstances that Giga Kick overcame to win last week's The Everest!). And, while only three fillies have been successful in a half-century of Spring Champion Stakes, each instance has occurred in the past six years. (The 2020 winner, Montefilia, is currently my pick to win the Melbourne Cup early next month.) Two fillies line up in this renewal of the Spring Champion, each with serious credentials: She's Extreme (5-1) defeated Williamsburg at Group One level as a 2-year-old; and Renaissance Woman (10-1) is a lightly raced, last-start G3 winner at the distance in Melbourne.
Friday night's co-feature is exclusively for females – and by invitation only. The Australian Turf Club knows it's growin' strong, but is not resting on the laurels of The Everest. A dozen fillies and mares RSVPed for their chance at a $2 million purse in The Invitation, at seven furlongs. Icebath won last year's inaugural running and tries to repeat as the 4-1 favorite, with three challengers (Forbidden Love, Nimalee and Espiona) quoted at 6-1 in yet another value-laden wagering event. Leaving aside past performances in favor of whimsy, this race contains a name of fun-filled imagination: Swats That, from the dam Is It a Mosquito. Meanwhile, your homesickness-tinged correspondent is feeling inclined to throw a few bucks on Expat. Can the success of this year's “The Everest Spring Carnival” be sustained? Given its seemingly endless range of invention and innovation, I've been inclined to believe.
The Randwick card (AUS-A) will be broadcast live on FanDuel TV this Friday night (First Post: 9.30 p.m. ET / 6.30 p.m. PT) alongside cards from Doomben (AUS-B), Kembla Grange (AUS-C), and Gold Coast (AUS-D). All races will be live-streamed in HD on the new Sky Racing World App, skyracingworld.com and major ADW platforms such as TVG, TwinSpires, Xpressbet, NYRABets, WatchandWager, HPIbet, and AmWager. Wagering is also available via these ADW platforms. Fans can get free access to live-streaming, past performances and expert picks on all races at skyracingworld.com.
About Michael Wrona
A native of Brisbane, Australia, Michael Wrona has called races in six countries. Michael's vast U.S. experience includes; race calling at Los Alamitos, Hollywood Park, Arlington and Santa Anita, calling the 2000 Preakness on a national radio network and the 2016 Breeders' Cup on the International simulcast network. Michael also performed a race call voiceover for a Seinfeld episode called The Subway.
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