“Fabulous, fabulous race” stated legendary sports broadcaster Bruce McAvaney as the new sprinting sensation Redzel, and his seven fellow Group 1 winners in a 13 strong field, lined up for the weight-for-age Gr1 Darley Stakes 1200m at Flemington.
In just 1-08.74sec and topping 70.1km/hour Redzel and jockey Kieran McEvoy had made the Darley Stakes their own, in scoring an all-the-way ¾ length victory over the even faster finishing duel Group 1 winner Terravista. Impending, the Stradbroke Handicap winner, was the same margin away in third.
Trained at Royal Randwick by Peter and Paul Snowden, it may be said that Redzel has broken the dominance of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival sprint events. At his previous start Redzel won the weight-for-age $10m The Everest of 1200m at Royal Randwick, an event designed for Sydney to re-establish its Spring Racing Carnival.
Not only had Redzel won The Everest at Randwick, but he defeated fellow Everest graduates in the Darley Stakes with the world rated Chautauqua a fast finishing fourth, Clearly Innocent in fifth, Vega Magic seventh and Redkirk Warrior in eleventh place.
As the $4.00 race favourite Redzel has now won some $7.8 million in stakes including the Doomben 10,000 in his past six consecutive race wins. Some 30 members of Triple Crown Syndications share in Redzel’s ownership.
Purchase for $120,000 at the 2014 Magic Milllions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Redzel is a 5yo bay gelding bred by Lee Fleming Thoroughbreds. Sired by the Australian Champion Sire in Snitzel from the Group 3 winning Rubiton mare Millrich, Redzel is closely related to the successful young sire Danerich, by Danehill.
The Darley’s third placegetter Impending, had previously finished second in The Everest’s support race the Sydney Stakes, run at Randwick prior to The Everest.
Unfortunately on race eve In Her Time, the Sydney Stakes winner and The Everest first emergency was scratched from the Darley Stakes. She was coming of a credible second placing to Hey Doc in the weight-for-age AJ Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley and was highly fancied at $7.50 in the Darley.
In Her Time was bred by the Estate of the Late Denise Cobcroft and is a 5yo mare by Time Thief from the Zeditave mare Hell It’s Hot, whose third dam is the former non-stud book mare Supaburn.
John Cobcroft’s five non-stud book mares of Boothi and her four daughter including Supaburn, were the first mares ever entered into the Register of Non Stud Vehicle Mares. As a result their progeny were approved by the International Stud Book Committee for entry into the Stud Book.
In addition Ball of Muscle, the Sydney Stakes third place getter who was also fourth emergency for The Everest, went onto win the Absolut Stakes at Flemington on Oaks Day.
What now for the second running of The Everest on Saturday 13 October 2018 with total prize soaring to $13 million from this year’s record betting turnover and commercial revenues.
Racing NSW and the Australian Turf Club have already announced that The Everest in 2019 will carry $14 million in total prize money, rising to $15 million in 2020. As stated, they are committed to reinvesting any incremental profits from The Everest back into the race and reward the loyalty and vision of the original slot holders who backed the concept.
Yes it correct that The Everest has captured the attention of the international racing world and succeed in bringing a new and younger audience into the world of thoroughbred racing.