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Australian Turf Club chief executive Steve McMahon has welcomed the challenge of his Victorian counterpart in the battle to establish and host a dream match race between Hong Kong superstar Ka Ying Rising, Australia’s champion Autumn Glow and Doncaster winner Sheza Alibi.
A race between the headline acts has gained attention since Tuesday, when Ka Ying Rising’s trainer, David Hayes, revealed his interest in the potential clash. In response, Autumn Glow’s managing owner, Arrowfield supremo John Messara, has not ruled out taking his star to the match race.
This masthead understands the ATC has been in discussions with connections for more than a month about a race, mostly likely on Golden Slipper day at Rosehill on March 20, when Ka Ying Rising is between his main targets at home and before Autumn Glow’s potential swansong trip to Royal Ascot. The ATC has also spoken to Racing NSW and the NSW Government about the idea.
It is believed finding enough financial support to lure defending Everest champion Ka Ying Rising back to Australia looms as the main stumbling block.
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Victoria Racing Club chief racing officer Leigh Jordan added to the intrigue on Wednesday when he told SEN radio he was “very confident” he could beat other jurisdictions in the battle to establish and host the match race, saying Flemington’s Australia Cup meeting on March 27 would be a fitting stage.
“I think Flemington is the right track,” Jordan said.
“As we know, it plays so fair. Whether it’s 1400 or a mile, or even down the straight, it’s the perfect venue, and we can definitely put on a world-class show. It’s the place to have it, it’s the home of racing, and we’re very keen to make this happen.”
McMahon responded with: “I welcome the Victorian challenge because it will be the best thing racing has seen in a long time, if it happens, but obviously we think Sydney is the place to do it, and we started it.
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“It will be great for racing, no matter where it is, but we want to do it.”
McMahon said the clash could be an 11th race, a winner-take-all, multimillion-dollar event called the International Challenge, on Golden Slipper day, or the trio could meet in a special edition of the George Ryder Stakes (1500m), which already carries $1 million in prizemoney. The prize pool for the International Challenge could come from $1 million from each horse’s connections.
“If we’re going to create something truly historic, why not bring together three of the most exciting horses in world racing and let the public enjoy a genuine championship contest?” McMahon said.
“Ka Ying Rising, Autumn Glow and Sheza Alibi lining up over 1500 metres at Rosehill Gardens on Golden Slipper Day in front of a packed house – that’s the type of sporting spectacle people would talk about for decades.”
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A clash between Ka Ying Rising, the world’s best sprinter and a $1.50 favourite for the $20 million Everest on October 17, and Autumn Glow alone would generate huge interest, especially given punters have been denied the chance to see them clash. Arrowfield announced last week their star would instead target mile races this spring.
Autumn Glow and Sheza Alibi are set to clash in the King Charles III Stakes on Everest day at Randwick.
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