Sky Racing World introduces Climbing Everest promotion
3 Oct 2018
To celebrate next Friday’s race, Sky Racing World has invited 12 prominent industry personalities from North America to participate in the Climbing Everest promotion. Included among these participants are Britney Eurton (TVG) and Donna Brothers (NBC).
Having already been assigned a gate number via a "gate draw," participants will now wait for the official "bbarrier/gate draw" on Tuesday, 9 October in Sydney, Australia, which will determine the horse allocation for each participant.
The array of personalities participating in the Climbing Everest promotion is matched only by the diverse list of charities that stand to win on race day. Representing a spectrum of organizations, many dedicated to horse racing welfare, the list of charities includes those offering retiring racehorses safe-haven and rehabilitation (New Vocations), awarding grants to approved aftercare organizations to retrain thoroughbreds (Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance) and much more.
Below are the 12 participants with their corresponding charity of choice and assigned gate.
- Candice Hare (TVG), Living Legends, Gate 2
- TVG, Carma, Gate 5
- Britney Eurton (TVG), New Vocations, Gate 1
- FanDuel, Anna House, Gate 4
- Donna Brothers (NBC), Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, Gate 6
- Ray Paulick (Paulick Report), Edwin J. Gregson Foundation, Gate 3
- Kurt Becker (Keeneland), Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund, Gate 12
- Michael Wrona (Santa Anita), Myasthenia Gravis Association of QLD, Gate 10
- Marcus Hersh (Daily Racing Form), Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, Gate 9
- Jonathan Lintner (Horse Racing Nation), Old Friends Farm, Gate 8
- Twinspires, KY Equine Humane Center, Gate 11
- Woodbine, Longrun Thoroughbred Retirement Society, Gate 7
With their gate 4 draw, FanDuel will be hoping that history repeats itself as 2017 winner Redzel jumped from the same gate. FanDuel’s charity of choice is Anna House, a childcare and early childhood education facility located at Belmont Park.
There have been some dramatic events on the past few days, but the field of 12 for The Everest is now finalized. The 12 contenders are 2017 winner Redzel (13/2), Santa Ana Lane (11/2), Trapeze Artist (6/1), Vega Magic (6/1), In Her Time (13/2), Shoals (8/1), US Navy Flag (10/1), Brave Smash (12/1), Viddora (12/1), Graff (13/1), Home Of The Brave (15/1) and Le Romain (20/1).
David Haslett, President and CEO, at Sky Racing World, said, “It’s a great sign for both The Everest and the sport of horse racing in general that we have prominent industry personalities getting involved in this promotion. The Everest is only in its second year and it has already garnered the global attention needed to draw notable individuals that genuinely care for the welfare of the horse racing industry.”
The Everest has gained considerable popularity as the richest turf race in the world, awarding a total of $13 million (AUD) in prize money. The prize pool also establishes The Everest as the richest horse race in Australia, surpassing the iconic Melbourne Cup ($6.2 million) on 5 November.
As the crown jewel of the Sydney Spring Racing Carnival, The Everest is a weight-for-age sprint contested over six furlongs, that is unlike any other race contested on the continent. Resembling the Pegasus World Cup Invitational, horse owners buy a slot in the race, forming a field of 12 starters. Competing as part of the field comes at a cost of $600,000 to connections.
The first race on 12 October is set for 9:25 p.m. EDT (6:25 p.m. PDT) with the headlining TAB Everest scheduled for 12:30 a.m. EDT (9:30 p.m. PDT).