Horses could be racing on Sydney Harbour Bridge next year as part of a stunning proposal to bring the sport of kings to the city's streets.
Racing NSW held a meeting with an English promoter last month who is keen to establish a worldwide street racing circuit. The Harbour Bridge is the dream location for "street racing" in Sydney on a purpose-built surface, which can be quickly laid and removed.
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Horse racing on Sydney Harbour Bridge?
Racing NSW is understood to have held talks with an English promoter about organising a horse race on the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Racing NSW is keen to hold a race meeting of up to six races on the Harbour Bridge, under the rules of racing.
It would coincide with the world's richest turf race, the $10 million Everest, which will be held at Randwick in October 2018.
Racing NSW chief executive Peter V'landys told Fairfax Media he could not comment on the plans "as they would be commercial in confidence".
However, it is understood Racing NSW want the concept to be held in Sydney at an iconic location as part of the carnival around its new race in the spring. The racing surface will have to be tested and horse safety would be paramount before it goes ahead.
If he can get the concept off the ground, it would be another coup for V'landys, but Racing NSW would have to gain support of the state government for the event to go ahead.
The project would result in the bridge being out of action to traffic for a day, which has happened previously. Events such as the breakfast picnic in 2009, the Sydney marathon and a Formula 1 exhibition have all closed the bridge.
There are two English firms, City Racing and GAG 403, which claim to have developed the technology to hold races on roads and plans have been floated to hold events in London and on the Champs Elysees in Paris.
English entrepreneurs Olly Neil and Andy King of GAG 403 have patented a racing track system that they describe as similar to a giant Scalextric model car system. The modular system track is 1400 metres â the Harbour Bridge has a span of 1149 metres.
The idea of street racing emerged earlier this year, with Neil hoping to have the first race on the portable track in 2018.
"We will create a global circuit of horse racing events with high-quality local horses thundering down iconic city streets ridden by the world's top jockeys," Neil told Britain's Racing Post.
"We're going to do for horse racing what Twenty20 has done for cricket and 3x3 for basketball â reinterpreting the sport of kings for a young urban audience and dialling up on technology, entertainment, excitement and energy."
City Racing's Johnno Spence said his company could have a race in London by the end of the year and is keen to expand around the world.
"We're working with an industry-backed consortium looking to run under the rules of racing and we're at quite an advanced stage," Spence told the Post.