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Maher captures maiden Everest with Bella Nipotina

Bella Nipotina has become the first mare to win The Everest in its inaugural running as a Group 1 race.

BELLA NIPOTINA winning the THE TAB EVEREST at Randwick in Australia.
BELLA NIPOTINA winning the THE TAB EVEREST at Randwick in Australia. Picture: Steve Hart

From a dramatic late scratching at the barriers to a heart-stopping finish, The Everest has produced another remarkable chapter with Bella Nipotina becoming the first mare to triumph in the $20 million spring showpiece.

A rare athlete, the seven-year-old is peaking on the racetrack at an age when most are in the broodmare barn and doing it despite a busy schedule that has taken in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Brisbane in the past eight months.

"She's phenomenal," trainer Ciaron Maher said.

"We were pretty confident leading into today that she was in career-best form.

"She had been doing on firm tracks what she used to do on tracks with give in them, so when she got her surface today we were pretty confident."

Maher had never saddled up a runner in The Everest (1200m) prior to Saturday but ended up with three in the field, two of them finishing first and third, Bella Nipotina ($9) overcoming a wide run to kick back and defeat 2022 Everest winner Giga Kick ($14) by a head with three-year-old Growing Empire ($9) another 1-1/4 lengths away.

While he has achieved more than most in racing, Maher was thrilled to add the Randwick feature to his resume in front of a vociferous crowd of 49,117.

"It's one of the iconic races now of the whole year. To win it is a massive feather in our cap," he said.

The Everest gave Bella Nipotina her 10th win from 55 starts and took her prizemoney earnings over $18 million, Maher describing her as an incredible mare who thrived on racing.

"She's a bit like me, she doesn't like to miss out on a carnival," he said.

"She can sometimes not step so well, but sometimes she can get a flyer. We decided if she got a flyer, 'let's go'.

"I thought with the run she had, she might have got beat, but she's bloody tough."

Bella Nipotina capped a great day for Craig Williams, who earlier won The Kosciuszko (1200m) on Far Too Easy, before landing his second Everest after Giga Kick two years ago.

Ironically, Williams was dumped from that horse this season before orchestrating his defeat on Saturday, although he has also enjoyed a long and successful association with Bella Nipotina, who he partnered to win the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 earlier this year.

"Today she showed everyone how good and tough she is because she had no favours," Williams said.

Trainer Clayton Douglas was rapt with the effort of Giga Kick, who turned in his best run since spending a year sidelined by injury.

"Very proud. What an effort. We had our knockers but it goes to show he's a very good horse," Douglas said.

Godolphin lost its slot runner when Golden Rose runner-up Traffic Warden played up in the barriers and was scratched at the gates on veterinary advice.


Racing and Sports

Randwick

Saturday, 19th October 2024

7
ET

THE TAB EVEREST (G1)

Type: OPEN
6 f TURF SOFT
7

(local)
AUD $20,000,000
6 f SOFT

THE TAB EVEREST (G1)

Type: OPEN


FP Silk Horse, Age & Sex
Sire & Dam
Jockey
Trainer
SP
WT
1st 4. BELLA NIPOTINA (AUS) 7yo M
PRIDE OF DUBAI (AUS) - BELLA ORFANA (AUS)
CRAIG WILLIAMS
CIARON MAHER
$9
56.5kg
M Christian, Ms S Miller, Mrs P Christian, A Ingersole, M Johnston, Porter Pelchen Bloodstock (Mgr: W Pelchen) & B Christian

Sales Information

2nd 2. GIGA KICK (AUS) 5yo G
SCISSOR KICK (AUS) - REKINDLED APPLAUSE (GB)
MARK ZAHRA
CLAYTON DOUGLAS
$14
58.5kg
Pinecliff Racing (Mgr: J B Munz)

Sales Information

3rd 9. GROWING EMPIRE (AUS) 3yo C
ZOUSTAR (AUS) - MILES OF KRISHAN (AUS)
KERRIN MCEVOY
CIARON MAHER
$9
53kg
Yu Long Investments (Mgr: Y Zhang)

Sales Information

4th 12. LADY OF CAMELOT (AUS) 3yo F
WRITTEN TYCOON (AUS) - MISS DEBUTANTE (AUS)
RACHEL KING
G WATERHOUSE & A BOTT
$41
51kg
5th 7. SUNSHINE IN PARIS (AUS) 5yo M
INVADER (AUS) - ZENAIDA (NZ)
TOMMY BERRY
ANNABEL NEASHAM & ROB ARCHIBALD
$7
56.5kg

Sales Information

6th 3. PRIVATE EYE (AUS) 7yo G
AL MAHER (AUS) - CONFIDENTIAL QUEEN (AUS)
JAY FORD
JOSEPH PRIDE
$26
58.5kg

Sales Information

7th 8. JOLIESTAR (AUS) 4yo M
ZOUSTAR (AUS) - JOLIE BAY (AUS)
JAMES MCDONALD
CHRIS WALLER
$6
56.5kg

Sales Information

8th 11. STORM BOY (AUS) 3yo C
JUSTIFY (USA) - PELICAN (NZ)
BRENTON AVDULLA
G WATERHOUSE & A BOTT
$13
53kg

Sales Information

9th 6. STEFI MAGNETICA (AUS) 4yo M
ALL TOO HARD (AUS) - MID SUMMER MUSIC (AUS)
ZAC LLOYD
BJORN BAKER
$15
56.5kg

Sales Information

10th 5. I AM ME (AUS) 6yo M
I AM INVINCIBLE (AUS) - MEFNOODA (AUS)
NASH RAWILLER
CIARON MAHER
$13
56.5kg

Sales Information

11th 1. I WISH I WIN (NZ) 6yo G
SAVABEEL (AUS) - MAKE A WISH (NZ)
LUKE NOLEN
PETER G MOODY & KATHERINE COLEMAN
$8.5
58.5kg

Sales Information