Charles Dickens’ historical novel – A Tale of Two Cities, (loosely that’s a bit Paris into London with some rich revolutionary era story telling between) was published 1859, some 20 years before the first Caulfield Cup, a race then worth 200 Guineas, but also some 158 years before an upstart of a race, a disruptor, loftily called The Everest landed in Sydney with a $10m kitty in its first incantation.
Fittingly Dickens starts his epic with: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity….”
And when The Everest arose boldly on racing’s spring landscape, forever having previously been dominated, if not domiciled without fear of a challenge in the southern Melbournian capital, some would have wanted Racing NSW’s Napoleon Peter V’Landy’s sent straight to the Bastille like Doctor Manette in Dicken’s “tale.”
Caulfield has always been a “leafy “address in Melbourne’s supposedly well to do south-east. Or as larrikin jockey Greg Hall would explain at Sportsman nights of his 43 Group 1 wins that included a Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide Cups but never one at Caulfield, “I don’t do suburbs”. (He left to it his jockey son Nick to cover that off eventually on Fawkner.)
But the Caulfield Cup, rated the world’s toughest handicap over 2400 or a mile-and-a-half, of which there are few rivals, remains a global grail, now worth $5m, it has been mainly sponsored by an avalanche of various brewery brands, but now a betting partner for the Melbourne Racing Club in Sportsbet.
The global giant Godolphin has won it (Best Solution), the French have won it (Dunaden), even Lady Herries, married to former English cricket captain Colin Cowdery, won a knock’em down version of it with Taufan’s Melody, surviving a protest.
The Japanese have won it twice (Admire Rakti and Mer De Glance) and are back with Warp Speed to try again.
It’s a global event. Always a rollicking race and some story.
But then comes the very Sydney and very unapologetic Everest. Young, brash, new, rich and aimed at the demographic of those who love singing its anthem - “Sweet Caroline” who weren’t even born when Neil Diamond released it in 1969 – or when “sweet times never seemed so good”….”do-do-do”!
Barriers draws controversially on the Opera House sails, then by 500 drones above the harbour, who knows what PVL’s team will have ready for Tuesday night.
This week the race may finally (though that game plays on) carry the highest official status, Group 1, that V’Landys envisioned (and the race deserved after Redzel won the first two). But it always as much as the event as the recognition. Now it’s both.
But remember Redzel?
Hardly a household name but it sits now #3 on the all-time prizemoney list with $16.4m career earnings, almost double that of the undefeated Black Caviar (#26), who of course you all remember having won all 25 starts and 15 group 1 races but $7.593m in stakes but far more recognition.
Not that under the Everest structure, the multitude of Triple Crown syndicate owners, got all of that, such is the slot holder unique nature of The Everest.
The Everest, with the TAB as its forever naming rights partner, is now worth $20m in total prizemoney and with that can cutely claim the “world’s richest race on turf” title, though all funds are shared by supportive “slot holders” and then through deals with partnered runners, and a layered payback system to either cover running costs or alleviate any significant pain.
A slot was originally $600,000 for 12 players. Now $700,000 but early supporters got a deal for life and can trade and wheel and deal their possies.
First prizemoney in the Caulfield Cup is $3m, running second in The Everest is $2.9m, but there are some accounting issues to sort before you think of the windfalls.
Mind you the Cup trophy is valued at $190,000, typically the diamond encrusted Everest trophy has a $600,000 valuation. The Melbourne (three loving handled) “Loving Cup” now has an $810,000 gold valuation, by the way which perhaps shades it’s $4.4m winner’s cheque.
But next Saturday, it’s not like two grand finals of the sport on the same day, but the Caulfield Cup and The Everest is a tale of two racing cities on the same day.
But then totally different. Some would say complement each other in terms of a focus on the sport for its own good, and always the bottom line of wagering, the punt, but shine the social beacon on both cities.
As Peter V’Landys said: “You always look forward, you never look back.”
Some would remember that the Melbourne Racing Club once owned a slot in the race and embraces the “competition” or happily shares the sporting and social spotlight that is Saturday.
Mind you, The Everest is not V’Landys only bomb against the Melbourne racing on Saturday that has already taken Mark Zahra, Luke Nolen, Craig Williams and Jamie Kah from the box office for Everest glory.
Australia’s most popular horses, Pride Of Jenni, dodged Caulfield last Saturday because her owner Tony Ottobre wanted to meet King Charles 111 or least try nailing the $5m on offer in a race that used to be named after a bloke called George Main. Racing Club Saturday.
And Charles, the King, is in Sydney this weekend, but whether he makes it to Randwick to watch Jenni or scale The Everest fun, will need all of V’Landys guile and charm.
There is a Kosciuszko worth $2m for country gallopers and a pretty clever sweepstake for the fans to be involved, a Silver Eagle ($1m), a Sydney Stakes (2m), all splits by free-to-air coverage between the tale of two cities on Channel 7.
Randwick will expect upwards of 45,000 on Everest Day, Caulfield, battling new mounting yard perceptions and rebuilding, probably around 30,000, but they had a decent barrier trial with a heaving crowd on Guineas day, so the signs are good.
Caulfield (especially new pro-active chair Jonh Kanga) and Melbourne is and has been ready for any northern incursions. Repelled (if not embraced a little) on Guineas day, and to be inhaled Caulfield Cup day.
Some may even trot out the tired cliches, “racing is the winner.”
As for me I’m tipping I Wish I Win to win The Everest, Eliyass to win the Caulfield Cup.
But better to end on Dickens than shallow babble as we embrace the two big cities on Saturday and the show the horses and the humans, on and off the track, will put on.
“Nothing that we do, is done in vain. I believe, with all my soul, that we shall see triumph.”
Comments