Room to grow: V’landys looks at next step after Everest proves a bonanza

2 hours ago 4

By Craig Kerry

October 19, 2025 — 7.16pm

Racing NSW chief Peter V’landys said a record-breaking Everest day would have brought in “several millions” of dollars for the embattled Australian Turf Club ahead of Friday’s deadline to respond to a show cause notice from the governing body.

And V’landys also hopes to expand crowd capacity for the showpiece meeting at Royal Randwick next year with a move onto the track’s infield area.

Huge crowds gathered for the 2025 Everest meeting at Randwick.

Hong Kong superstar Ka Ying Rising, under the guidance of Australian Hall of Fame trainer David Hayes and jockey Zac Purton, became the first international winner of the $20 million Everest on Saturday, helping attract a record crowd of 50,167 and new highs in betting turnover.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club, which leased the ATC’s Everest slot and filled it with Ka Ying Rising, announced the Everest had set a betting race turnover record for its World Pool of HK$83,024,693 ($A16.4 million). It easily eclipsed the previous mark of HK$66,197,958 from the 2023 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Ideal weather and racing conditions topped off a dream day for organisers.

“You couldn’t write the script much better,” V’landys said on Sunday.

“The most important thing for us is always the weather because that’s one thing you can’t control, but it was perfect yesterday. And having the tickets sold out almost two weeks before helps because you can plan on the day to provide more customer service, which the ATC did.

“The atmosphere that the Everest meeting generates, people just can’t describe it. There were people there who have been throughout the world, and they were still in awe of the Everest. Even the Hong Kong people couldn’t believe it.”

V’landys said record international betting turnover and added exposure through maiden broadcasts on DAZN and Fox Sports 1 in America, which opened the race to a potential audience of more than 500 million, were also major positives.

“Both really promoted the event on their channels, so it’s only going to continue to grow into an international event,” he said.

‘The atmosphere that the Everest meeting generates, people just can’t describe it.’

Racing NSW CEO Peter V’landys

“As [Hong Kong Jockey Club CEO] Winfried [Engelbrecht-Bresges] said, this really develops international racing because to get success in Australia with a sprinter is very rare.”

The positives come amid a tumultuous time for Sydney racing. Racing NSW issued the ATC, which operates Sydney’s four thoroughbred racetracks and owns them all except Randwick, with a show cause notice on September 19 as to why an administrator should not be appointed to replace the board over concerns about the club’s finances and corporate governance.

It came after the sacking of CEO Matt Galanos and then the resignation of directors Ben Bayot and Natalie Hewson that week, which left the ATC board with just four members. ATC chairman Tim Hale told members the club was asset-rich, financially strong, and solvent.

Racing NSW later outlined its reasons, including doubts about the club’s ability to repay a $30 million bank debt due late next year. Initially given two weeks to respond, the ATC’s deadline was moved to this Friday, to keep the focus on the Everest.

David Hayes and Zac Purton celebrate victory in The Everest.

“At this stage, we’ve only given them a show-cause notice to tell us how they’re going to improve, and then we’ll sit down with them in the next couple of weeks to go through it,” V’landys said.

He said “the [ATC] club will make a fortune” from Everest day revenue, including its percentage of betting turnover.

“Because the way it’s structured, any bets internationally, they get direct, so that will make one to two million,” he said.

“Plus, they never had the Everest before. We pay for the race, but any revenues go to them. All the ticket sales, international rights, digital rights, go to the ATC, so the Everest has been a windfall for them.”

The Racing NSW boss said there was room for growth next year at Randwick, which was at capacity on Saturday. Hospitality included the new Base Camp VIP area, which V’landys said Racing NSW spent $9 million to create.

“We have to talk to the ATC, but the in-field in the old days used to be used and there’s no reason why we can’t put in an up-market area in there,” he said.

“We’ve got no space left on the other side unless we extend the Winx Stand. When we built it, we engineered it so you could put extra floors on. But, we fund it, so anything that happens, we pay for it.

“We’ll probably do the [having spectators in the] infield for next year, and we’ll plan to put another level on the Winx Stand.”