Let's be clear, Racing NSW never intended for the sails of the Opera House to be used as a billboard. We just wanted what other sports and cultural events have been afforded as a way to highlight to the world that Sydney is a seriously great place for events.

The idea was to incorporate a Sydney (and Australian) landmark in a way to showcase The Everest – the richest race in the world on turf – to a world audience, with an outcome that was beneficial to all parties, or so we believed.

Approved: The Racing NSW promotion that will be beamed onto the Opera House from Tuesday.

Unfortunately, the debate on the use of the Opera House sails to promote The Everest internationally has been progressing without the correct facts, which I detail below.

Before I do, I should also stress that Racing NSW sought only to use the Sydney Harbour Bridge. We had a plan to do just that and had been careful to make sure it would not have inconvenienced Sydney drivers.