It's been well-documented that Sydney racing has soared back into the headlines during spring in recent years, with the introduction of some huge races going head-to-head with traditional Victorian races.
The Everest has become the most exciting sprint race on the calendar, while races like The Invitation last weekend and The Four Pillars this Saturday are two more great additions.
But perhaps what has been understated during the recent surge here in Sydney is just how important the $7.5 million Golden Eagle has become for a myriad of reasons.
Yes, the prizemoney is absolutely fantastic for connections and it pits some amazing horses against each other to create a great spectacle for fans at Rosehill or watching at home.
But according to Racing NSW COO Graeme Hinton, it's also a great opportunity for horses to compete at a high level while they are at the peak of their powers.
“When we established the race, what we wanted to identify was that when a horse hits four, it actually hits the peak of its ability," he told Big Sports Breakfast on Thursday morning.
"It gets to its best, it’s matured, it’s flying and it’s at its healthiest.
"We found the Golden Eagle was the perfect opportunity to find those four-year-old horses at their best, bring them all together over 1500m, which is that good middle-distance range.
"And then you have the field we have on Saturday, which is absolutely fantastic yet again."
Saturday's field at Rosehill will be littered with quality horses, headlined by Group 1 winners I'm Thunderstruck and Private Eye, who will be looking to emulate the great performances of Colette and Kolding in the first two years.
It will also include a stack of international horses, which Hinton believes is proof of how well-established it has already become.
“We do like to see them come out," he said.
"We don’t set these races up to attract internationals, we like to set them up as they are and if internationals choose to come, that’s all the better.
"What is exciting is that some of these internationals are now here to stay, so that adds to our pool of horses in NSW and there are some very high-quality ones."
The other component that makes the Golden Eagle so special is the charity aspect of the race.
Each runner will be connected with a different charity, and 10 per-cent of all winnings will go to their charity of choice, which means a total of $750,000 will be donated across different organisations.
“There is $7.5 million of prizemoney for the race, and what we do is partner up each horse with a charity and 10 per-cent of the horse’s prizemoney goes to charity," Hinton said.
"First prize is $4.1 million, so the partnered charity of that horse gets $410,000 and all the way down to last place. We pay each charity at least $1,000.
“Racing actually does a lot behind the scenes for charity. We don’t toot our own horn in that space, we are always contributing and assisting in giving to these organisations.
"What we found with the Golden Eagle was just a chance to do it on the biggest stage and give these charities something to cheer for.
"When we provide the list of charities, we found some really heart-warming stories in the ownership group of these horses.
"They’ve got a real connection with these charities as well, which adds another layer to it and makes them feel like they are giving something back personally."
The introduction of these great races in the past few years has been largely thanks to Peter V'landys.
And when Hinton was asked whether or not some more additions are coming, he thinks the ARLC boss might have a few tricks left up his sleeve.
“There is never a dull moment at Racing NSW," he said.
"I think if we leave Peter V’landys alone for a little while, he will come up with something special for us."
