SYDNEY (AP) Local galloper Redzel couldn't be caught in the inaugural running of the world's richest thoroughbred turf race, The Everest, at Sydney's Randwick racecourse on Saturday.
Ridden by Australian jockey Kerrin McEvoy and trained by prominent father-son team Peter and Paul Snowden, Redzel won the 1,200-meter weight-for-age sprint - worth A$10 million ($7.82 million) - by three-quarters of a length. Fellow 5-year-old Vega Magic was a fast-finishing second, a neck ahead of Melbourne-based former Japanese sprinter Brave Smash.
Australian-bred Redzel jumped well from barrier 4 and traveled strongly in second place until hitting the lead 300 meters from the finish and establishing a decisive break, securing the first prize of more than $4.5 million.
The world's top-rated sprinter, Chautauqua, was a half length away in fourth.
The 12-horse field was made up of Australia's best sprinters.
With the winner's time being 1 minute, 8.36 seconds, Redzel earned around $65,000 for each second of the race.
