‘Cringeworthy, horrendous’ – ‘Simply outrageous’ draw for world’s richest turf race descends into farce

THE ‘simply outrageous’ barrier draw for the world’s richest horse race on turf was mocked by punters – thanks in no small part to a man being fired out of a cannon.

Racing bosses in Australia went all out for the draw for Saturday’s £10.3million Everest, a mega-money race over six furlongs at Randwick.

The money on offer is colossal, with last year’s winner Think About It taking home a massive £4.3m.

But the excess isn’t confined to the prize money.

Whereas the quaint draw for last June’s Derby was held outside a Wetherspoon pub in sleepy Epsom, there was no expense spared for the Everest.

Taking place in a circus, there were women on stilts, firebreathers and trapeze artists you’d expect to see in Cirque du Soleil.

An enormous structure called ‘the wheel of death’ was used to announce Growing Empire getting stall seven.

While the antics that announced I Am Me’s draw in gate one defied belief.

A woman was tied to a ladder which in turn was driven round in a circle by a bloke on a motorbike – all while suspended in mid-air.

Even Rod Stewart at his best couldn’t match anything like this.

But by far the best was the man being launched what looked at least 80ft through the air by, presumably, a cannon.

He landed on what looked like a massive bouncy castle on the other side as a huge banner unveiling the number nine signalled where favourite I Wish I Win had been drawn.

The whole thing was a truly bizarre spectacle.

But you have to praise Racing New South Wales bosses for thinking outside the box and giving it a go.

Even if not everyone agreed.

While some loved the razzmatazz of it all, one punter moaned: “What on earth are we watching? It’s horrendous.”

Another said: “This is ridiculous – cringeworthy.”

While a third summed up the view of many when they wrote: “I’m all for innovation but WTF am I watching?”

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