The Mohallil Everest Horse Race

Coming up on the 13th of October is The Everest horse race at Randwick Race Track in Sydney - which will be the richest horse race on turf in the world, offering 13 million dollars to the to be shared between the winners and place-getters - and to so some extent all the 12 starters wherever they come because the basis of the race itself is quite unusual:

People, wealthy, in fact very wealthy, people, invest in a 'slot' (one of twelve such slots), and then having secured their slot, they 'invite' a horse they think can win into taking up the slot and racing for the actual 13 million dollars in prize-money. At the moment, the going rate for buying a slot is $600,000. The slot-owners negotiate with the owners and trainers of their invited horse (or horses) for the percentage split-up of the eventual prize-money.

13 million dollars The Everest horse race, diamond-encrusted trophy
This is real horse racing!

As far as I can read it, this would all be in compliance with the concept of 'Sadaqa' racing in Islam, with the transacting over the prize-money and starting slots known as 'mohallil' business.

This is all of some interest to me because I am currently working on an aspect of this with some 'rich kids of Dubai...!'

Anyway, The Everest horse race is a fantastic idea and this year - as in the small number of previous years in which it was run - the twelve 'slotted horses' are extraordinary animals. The race is a sprint race over 1200 meters and it is without question the most interesting serious racing horse race in the world for professionals in horse racing and wagering - or, to put it in the appropriate form for this Muslims around the place, 'transacting over the starting place and the prize-money.'

Given the nature of the process of 'inviting' horses to a starting slot, I would presume that either part of, of an additional sum would most certainly be given to the owners and trainers just for plain accepting the slot.

For me this is going to be a sensational, truly exciting event - something I really enjoy at this rather late stage in my horse racing 'career.' Smaller contests generally cannot get me to stake meaningful sums any more, and most of the well-known traditional 'big' races for me at least, are 'spun' as entertainment by Turf Clubs and are no long true contests of horse, rider, and trainer and owner. This thing - The Everest - is.

They can whinge all they like about the people in Sydney Horse Racing using the Sydney Opera House as a gambling advertising billboard! Too bad.