TAB Everest Carnival: Glammed-up race-goers begin arriving for massive day at Royal Randwick Racecourse

Fascinated racegoers are starting to arrive for the seventh edition of the Everest, Australia’s richest horse race.

Around 45,000 spectators are expected at Royal Randwick Racecourse, with the field competing for a whopping $20 million prize pool.

Peter Moody’s Group 1 winner I Wish I Win, and Joseph Pride’s Stradbroke Handicap winner Think About It, appear as two entrants who look hard to beat in the big race.

But for many participants, it’s the music, fashion, food and drink as part of a great day out that offers more appeal than the horse racing.

Around 45,000 spectators are expected at Royal Randwick Racecourse, with the field competing for a whopping $20 million prize money.

For many participants, it’s the music, fashion, food and drink as part of a great day out that offers more appeal than the horse racing.

“From 2022 to 2023 we’ve seen music as a motivator to attend carnivals growing by 39 per cent and food and drink growing by 34 per cent,” Australian Turf Club chief commercial operations officer Donna Forbes told the Herald .

“Fashion has made it out of the gates, but it’s nowhere near the finish line, with only 19 percent of respondents saying clothing is one of their main motivations for attending races.

Hot Dub Time Machine and Empire of the Sun will perform during the event, which now rivals Melbourne’s famous Autumn Racing Carnival in size and popularity.

Performers perform ahead of TAB Everest Day at Royal Randwick Racecourse

Racegoers are arriving for the Everest at Royal Randwick Racecourse

Hot Dub Time Machine and Empire of the Sun will perform during the event, which now rivals Melbourne’s famous Autumn Racing Carnival in size and popularity

The TAB Everest Carnival kicks off eight weeks of world-class horse racing from September to November in Sydney.

Twelve of the fastest horses on earth will compete for $20 million in prize money at Everest, while three weeks later the world’s best four-year-olds do battle in the fifth running of the $10 million Golden Eagle at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday. November 4.

Runners for TAB Everest are allocated using a unique concept – 12 ‘slots’ are available for sale, which then allows the slot holder to negotiate with the owners, select their horse and agree a split of the money for making that horse run in races over 1200m.

The Everest trophy is seen before the race. Runners for TAB Everest are allocated using a unique concept – 12 ‘slots’ are available for sale, which then allows the slot holder to negotiate with the owners, select their horse and agree a split of the money for making that horse run in races over 1200m