Photo:

Sky Racing World TV

From the outside post, Bella Nipotina surprisingly took an early lead,
conceded it in the turn and then reclaimed it late, winning by a short head Saturday
in the eighth running of The Everest, a six-furlong sprint in Sydney that, at US$13.4 million, is
the richest turf race in the world.

The win was part of a big day in Australia for trainer Ciaron Maher, whose 6-year-old gelding Duke De Sessa won an hour later in the US$3.3 million Caulfield Cup (G1) in suburban Melbourne.

Bella Nipotina (5-1 in the U.S. pool), a 7-year-old mare bred and co-owned by Michael Christian, broke alertly in The Everest under jockey Craig Williams. Despite being forced to travel wide, she held a narrow advantage through the first quarter-mile.

“She can sort of sometimes not step so well, but sometimes
she can get a flyer,” Maher told Sky Racing World. “We decided if we got a
flyer, let’s go.”

Bella Nipotina (5-1 in the U.S. pool) then was passed on the inside by Storm
Boy (10-1) and Growing Empire (5-1). Williams said he could
not afford to be worried about losing the lead.

“I just had to trust her,” he said. “The plan was to trust
her. The dream was to get across (inside to lead) at the start.”

Coming out of the right turn in third place, Bella Nipotina accelerated
as she was fanned wide down the quarter-mile homestretch in the drizzle at
Royal Randwick in Sydney. Giga Kick (14-1) split horses to the inside, getting a nose in front
with a furlong to go. Bella Nipotina dug in to retake the lead in the last
120 yards and maintained the narrow advantage through the finish line.

“The fear all week was that she would be caught three wide,
no cover, and she was,” Christian said. “And
she was still good enough. I don’t know what to say. She is just a freak.”

Giga Kick finished second, 1 1/4 lengths better than third-place
Growing Empire. Lady Of Camelot (34-1) rallied but missed the board by a short
head, taking fourth. U.S. post-time favorite Joliestar (5-2) came in seventh in the field of 11 horses ages 3 and up including five
males and six females.

The winning time was 1:08.76 without a run-up for the 1,200
meters, about eight yards short of six furlongs. The early fractions were 23.87 and 46.09 seconds. The course was rated soft-5,
which translates to yielding in North America.

“She been doing on firm tracks what she used to do on tracks
with give in it,” Maher said. “She got her surface today.”

In U.S. win-place-show betting, Bella Nipotina returned
$13.70, $6.80 and $4.50; Giga Kick $10.40 and $8.80; and Growing Empire $5.60.

By Pride Of Dubai out of Star Witness mare Bella Orfana,
Bella Nipotina added a US$4.7 million first prize Saturday to push her career
earnings to US$10.9 million for Christian and his partners. Her race record is
56: 11-13-12.

Patterned after the original conditions of the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) in America, The Everest requires owners to pay US$500,000 into the purse for one of the slots in the race.

Horse Racing Nation coverage of Racing NSW is made possible in part through a sponsorship by Sky Racing World.