Latest News

Sydney’s plans for a blockbuster global racing and entertainment event – the world’s richest race on turf, the $10 million The Everest – has received a further boost with Racing NSW and the Australian Turf Club today unveiling major improvements to Sydney’s spring racing program.

The Everest will be the highlight of a revitalised Sydney Spring Carnival which features important enhancements to the program for three-year-old and middle distance weight-for-age races. The sprinting program leading into The Everest has also been enhanced and the staying program boosted with the ATC St Leger being revived and added to The Everest Day.

In addition to The Everest, prizemoney will be boosted by close to $2 million for the 2017 Sydney Spring Carnival which will now offer more than $22.5 million in stakes from Saturday 9 September to Saturday, 14 October 2017.

These changes support Racing NSW and Australian Turf Club’s strategy to develop The Everest and Spring Carnival into a world recognised event. The Everest race meeting on 14 October 2017 will now become Australia’s richest raceday, featuring the world’s richest race on turf.

“Saturday October 14 will be an historic event for thoroughbred racing in Australia and will reinforce Sydney’s positon as a leading global event city,” said Racing NSW Chairman, Mr Russell Balding AO.

“The Everest is creating unprecedented interest both inside and outside racing, from within Australia and internationally. It is timely to modernise and strengthen the racing program during the spring in Sydney,” Mr Russell Balding added.

Australian Turf Club Chairman, Laurie Macri said: “The Sydney Spring Carnival continues to deliver racing of the highest quality and these program improvements will provide enhanced opportunities for connections with horses in sprinting, middle distance and staying categories.

“The revised three-year-old program in particular is very exciting as it presents a more streamlined pathway towards the Group 1 De Bortoli Wines Golden Rose. This also allows a better progression for three-year-old sprinter-milers aimed at feature races in Melbourne later in spring,” Mr Macri added.

The programming changes will deliver four consecutive weeks of Group One racing at Rosehill Gardens and Royal Randwick leading into The Everest race meeting on 14 October 2017. The changes are summarised below with the full details of changes attached to this media release.

Three-Year-Olds The centrepiece of a modernised program for three-year-olds sees the Group One $1 million De Bortoli Wines Golden Rose staged a fortnight later at Rosehill Gardens on 23 September, providing a streamlined pathway for three-year-olds aiming at shorter distance races.

The Group 2 Stan Fox Stakes on 9 September swaps dates with the De Bortoli Wines Golden Rose in a more structured program for horses increasing in distance towards the Group 1 Moët & Chandon Spring Champion Stakes.

The set-weight and penalty scale for the Group 3 San Domenico Stakes and Group 2 Run to the Rose have been amended to ensure more balanced conditions. The Group 2 Roman Consul Stakes (1200m) will be held on Spring Champion Stakes Day, 7 October 2017.

Middle-distance Weight-for-age races The middle-distance program has been revamped to provide for a progression of three weight-for-age races from 1600m to 2000m, commencing with the Group 1 Colgate Optic White George Main Stakes (1600m) on 16 September 2017. The Group 2 Hill Stakes will now be run over 1800m on 30 September 2017, with the pathway of weight-for-age races culminating with the Group 3 Craven Plate (2000m) being held on The Everest program.

Prizemoney for both the Hill Stakes and Craven Plate has been increased to $500,000, matching that of the Colgate Optic White George Main Stakes.

Sprinting program The Listed City Tatts Lightning will be added to the program on Everest Day to be run at 1200m under weight-for-age conditions. The prizemoney for the race has been increased to $500,000 and will be a strong support race on the program as well as providing emergency runners for The Everest.

The Group 2 Premiere Stakes (1200m) – as a key lead-in race for The Everest on 30 September 2017 – has had its prizemoney significantly elevated to $500,000.

Finally, the set-weights and penalty conditions of the Group 2 The Shorts (1100m) on 16 September 2017 will be amended to be less punitive on well-performed horses.

ATC St Leger revival The program for The Everest Day will be boosted by revival of the ATC St Leger. The race will be added to that program and be run over 2600m at set-weights and penalty conditions for prizemoney of $500,000.

Anniversary Highway With The Everest race meeting coinciding with the launch of Highway races in mid-October 2015, the meeting will also feature the Anniversary Highway carrying prizemoney of $200,000.

The Everest race meeting The Everest Day’s racing will include the City Tatts Lightning (1200m) and St Leger (2600m). In addition to the races outlined above, the program will also feature the Listed Reginald Allen Quality (1400m) for three-year-old fillies and a feature race for two-year-olds.

Click on the following link to view the full changes to the 2017 Sydney Spring Carnival:-

Changes to a revitalised Sydney Spring Carnival