- Referendum and megabucks race both held on SaturdayÂ
- Racing NSW chief V’landys says it’s not a coincidenceÂ
- Believes clash won’t drive down numbers at the race
Racing NSWÂ boss Peter V’landys has revealed he believes the Voice to Parliament referendum is being held on the same day as The Everest because it’s a good omen for the Yes vote.
The man behind Australia’s richest horse race believes the name of the horse that won in 2019 spurred the government on to choose Saturday as the date of the poll.
‘The reason they put it on that day is because the prime minister was hoping it was an omen that in 2019 a horse won called Yes Yes Yes,’ he told the Sydney Morning Herald.
While the Australian Electoral Commission says more than two million Australians have already cast their votes, polling booths will be very busy come October 14 – but V’landys isn’t worried about any possible effect on crowds for the $20million contest.
V’landys (pictured right at Royal Ascot last year) is completely unconcerned about the impact of the referendum on crowds at Randwick on Saturday
The man behind the Everest believes Anthony Albanese (pictured) chose the day of the race to hold the vote because of a good omen from the event in 2019
‘It would have no impact at all because two and a half million have already voted and booths open early in the morning,’ he said.
‘I noticed the Electoral Commission was telling people that if they’re going to the Everest, there are going to be booths nearby.’
Interest around the race is building to fever pitch after the barrier draw was released on Tuesday night with a spectacular light show on Sydney Harbour.
Easily the biggest winner from that announcement was Overpass, with the draw prompting loud cries of joy from its connections when it scored barrier two.
He likes to run from the front and is now almost ideally placed to do so – a fact not lost on bookies, who took him from $11 to win to $9.
Overpass’s trainer Bjorn Baker was delighted with the development.
‘He is a much better horse than when he ran sixth to Giga Kick in this race last year,’ Baker told the publication.
‘My mathematician told me I wanted to be as close to the rail as possible and we nearly got the perfect barrier.
‘The best way to ride him is let him roll along in front and that’s what we will be doing. They will have to come and beat us.’
It’s anticipated that Randwick will be sold out for the Everest, with a host of celebrities in attendance, like TV star Sonia Kruger (pictured at last year’s event)
The $20million race has quickly become a firm favourite with punters despite only getting off the ground in 2017 (pictured, crowds at the Everest last year)
Meanwhile, champion jockey Zac Purton has lashed out at the restricted use of the whip in Australian racing, predicting it will make life difficult for him when he rides in this year’s race.
Regarded as the top hoop in the racing mecca of Hong Kong since leaving Australia in 2007, the 40-year-old will be riding In Secret as he contests the country’s richest horse race.
While jockeys in Hong Kong can use the whip as often as they like, their counterparts down under are far more restricted.
The Australian Rules of Racing state hoops can only use the whip five times in non-consecutive strides before the last 100 metres of a race. There are no limits on whip use in the last stretch.Â
‘From the time I get on the horse, I have that thought going through my head – whip, whip, whip – and it is hard when you are in big fields, you are making runs between horses, you are trying to time your run correctly and then you have to try to look out for the markers to see where you are,’ he told racenet.
