Maher wins the 2024 Everest with Bella Nipotina

From a dramatic late scratching at the barriers to a heart-stopping finish, The Everest has produced another remarkable chapter with Bella Nipotina becoming the first mare to triumph in the $20 million spring showpiece.

A rare athlete, the seven-year-old is peaking on the racetrack at an age when most are in the broodmare barn and doing it despite a busy schedule that has taken in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Brisbane in the past eight months.

“She’s phenomenal,” trainer Ciaron Maher said.

“We were pretty confident leading into today that she was in career-best form.

“She had been doing on firm tracks what she used to do on tracks with give in them, so when she got her surface today we were pretty confident.”

Maher had never saddled up a runner in The Everest (1200m) prior to Saturday but ended up with three in the field, two of them finishing first and third, Bella Nipotina ($9) overcoming a wide run to kick back and defeat 2022 Everest winner Giga Kick ($14 in betting) by a head with three-year-old Growing Empire ($9) another 1-1/4 lengths away.

While he has achieved more than most in racing, Maher was thrilled to add the Randwick feature to his resume in front of a vociferous crowd of 49,117.

“It’s one of the iconic races now of the whole year. To win it is a massive feather in our cap,” he said.

The Everest gave Bella Nipotina her 10th win from 55 starts and took her prizemoney earnings over $18 million, Maher describing her as an incredible mare who thrived on racing.

“She’s a bit like me, she doesn’t like to miss out on a carnival,” he said.

“She can sometimes not step so well, but sometimes she can get a flyer. We decided if she got a flyer, ‘let’s go’.

“I thought with the run she had, she might have got beat, but she’s bloody tough.”

Bella Nipotina capped a great day for Craig Williams, who earlier won The Kosciuszko (1200m) on Far Too Easy, before landing his second Everest after Giga Kick two years ago.

Ironically, Williams was dumped from that horse this season before orchestrating his defeat on Saturday, although he has also enjoyed a long and successful association with Bella Nipotina, who he partnered to win the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 earlier this year.

“Today she showed everyone how good and tough she is because she had no favours,” Williams said.

Trainer Clayton Douglas was rapt with the effort of Giga Kick, who turned in his best run since spending a year sidelined by injury.

“Very proud. What an effort. We had our knockers but it goes to show he’s a very good horse,” Douglas said.

Godolphin lost its slot runner when Golden Rose runner-up Traffic Warden played up in the barriers and was scratched at the gates on veterinary advice.