“A phenomenon”: Why The Everest is the best recent innovation in Australian sport

Racing was at its absolute best on Saturday. Incredible stories of horses and humans alike.

Harry Coffey, who lives with cystic fibrosis, won a major - the Caulfield Cup - aboard Duke De Sessa.

But I think The Everest, this year won by Bella Nipotina, is a phenomenon.

The best addition to any established sport in this country since day-night cricket.

Run for the first time in 2017, it rapidly became racing’s fifth major. At its eighth running it’s not The Players, it is not the fifth of five, it’s clearly above the Golden Slipper and the Caulfield Cup.

The Melbourne Cup is iconic but is in a really strange phase. The Cox Plate is our best race, our championship event.

The Everest is our most relevant. You know all the runners and for 12 months they shape up for a place in the field.

Perfectly they run the consolation for the next 18 in line the race before. Then the chosen 12 duel for the title. So across an hour you see the 30 best sprinters in the country.

There were old sparring partners of previous winners blended with perennial victors and the new brigade, the fresh blood.

They were drawn from all over the country to take their shot. It’s what the Melbourne Cup used to be.

Australia does sprinters, and The Everest is the absolute stage. It’s the best innovation in Australian sport since Kerry Packer pioneered day-night cricket.

It’s Australia’s most relevant race.

Saturday’s Cox Plate will decide whether it has claims to the mantle of Australia’s best race.