Punters let loose in wild scenes at sold-out $20million Everest race day

The 2024 edition of Everest was raced and won and was another huge day on and off the track at Sydney’s Royal Randwick.

On the track, seven-year-old mare Bella Nipotina won the Everest, the world’s richest grass race, valued at $20 million, on Saturday.

Bella Nipotina is the first mare to win Everest in her eight years.

Off the court, King Charles and Queen Camilla may have arrived late, following rumors that they were going to attend, but that didn’t stop tens of thousands of punters from letting their hair down.

There had been feverish speculation that King Charles might bring the ‘royalty’ to Royal Randwick by making an appearance at the sold-out event.

However, Saturday is officially billed as a rest day on their first tour of Australia as monarchs, and the couple were spotted taking a leisurely stroll in the garden of Admiralty House on Sydney’s north shore.

Along with the $20 million The Everest, Saturday also saw the second running of the $5 million King Charles III Stakes and the $2 million The Kosciuszko, all part of Australia’s richest day of racing.

For the first time since its debut in 2017, Sydney’s premier day of racing has officially sold out, setting the stage for an unforgettable spectacle.

Attendees of all ages, who were dressed and equipped for the occasion, began arriving from 10 a.m. to place their bets before the main event at 4:15 p.m.

A group of women with headdresses and winter jackets over their dresses appeared waiting patiently at the turnstiles.

But younger racegoers were apparently less concerned about dressing appropriately for the cloudy spring weather.

As punters left Royal Randwick on Saturday, many needed help and some were carried in tow.