For a man who knows numbers better than most, Peter V’landys was precise about how many drones he had soaring above Sydney Harbour on Tuesday night.
Five hundred and one. Five hundred of those were used for a spectacular light show to reveal the colours of the horses and barriers for The Everest … and just a single one to capture it all from above.
A drone display over Sydney Harbour of The Everest barrier draw on Tuesday night.Credit:Wolter Peeters
“We’ve got the best harbour in the world and we’ve always said we’d showcase it,” V’landys said. “What better way than with this spectacular barrier draw. And one thing I’ve always said: we’ll never stop the boats.”
And there’s not much stopping The Everest at the moment.
The world’s richest turf race, worth $15 million which requires slotholders to pay $600,000 per year just for the privilege of selecting a horse to represent them in the race, only had one thing more valuable in the shadows of the Harbour Bridge: the $20 million super yacht The Jackson it was watched from.
V’landys was joined by 180 guests for the barrier draw, including NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo and a bevy of Sydney media’s heaviest hitters to launch the biggest horse race in Sydney, which will be run at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
After the COVID-impacted event of the last two years, Royal Randwick is expected to be at capacity for the sixth running of The Everest, which was limited to just 10,000 patrons last year as Sydney eased out of its virus-induced slumber.
Racing NSW chief executive V’landys took only days to swing into The Everest mode after the NRL grand final, which he attended in his capacity as Australian Rugby League Commission boss.
This time, he didn’t court anywhere near the controversy for another light show on Sydney Harbour.
The Everest, a race unashamedly pitched as a disruptor, once garnered worldwide attention for the backlash to having the barrier draw projected onto the sails of the Opera House. For a race built to be a publicity machine, it might have been the best advertisement ever for the concept.
A drone display over Sydney Harbour shows the start of The Everest barrier draw.Credit:Wolter Peeters
This year the drones, which were trialled in secret before the actual unveil, lit up in images of thoroughbreds and the race’s logo before morphing into the colours of each horse to feature in the 1200-metre sprint.
Champion sprinter Nature Strip will start as the shortest-priced favourite in the history of The Everest. He won the race last year and since then has been to the other side of the world to win the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot.
His trainer Chris Waller was one of a select few Australians invited to The Queen’s funeral, but had to remain in Australia due to family commitments. His horse, Nature Strip, was the last horse lit up in the night sky and drew the extreme outside barrier in 12.
“The Everest had completely changed the calendar, the finances and appeal of the Sydney spring,” Australian Turf Club chairman Peter McGauran said. “Bear in mind this is only the sixth The Everest.
“It was pure genius from Peter V’landys and Racing NSW to introduce The Everest and then build on it year after year to make sure it’s the most talked about race in Australia. These are the best of the best competitors – trainers, jockeys and horses.
“Arguably this is the biggest sporting event in Sydney.”
