In a secluded corner of a Sydney racetrack no one can really be sure will still be here in 10 years, the world’s highest-rated racehorse is walking laps without a care in the world.
On the other side of a temporary fence, cameras are trailing his every move, like they would for Margot Robbie on the red carpet. They’re pressed against the wiring for the money shot after a 24 hours unlike any other in Australian horse racing, where dollars were trading hands on a horse at a furious rate, and no one was really sure why.
Is he breathing? Yes, obviously. Does he still have four legs? Looks like it. Is he moving OK? Absolutely.
Standing in the middle of the oval-shaped path his horse has been trudging for the last 10 minutes, David Hayes cheekily turns to the press pack and bellows from the side of his mouth.
“He’s still alive,” Hayes grins.
Reports of Ka Ying Rising’s demise, as they say in the classics, have been greatly exaggerated.
So, what was the cause of all the hysteria on Sunday which saw social media melt down and betting markets on the A$20 million The Everest, the world’s richest turf race, briefly suspended as rumours about Ka Ying Rising’s health orbited?
Hayes has tried to uncover the mystery.
As best as he can ascertain, a Melbourne media personality’s social media profile on the ‘X’ platform formerly known as Twitter was compromised across the weekend and published material which suggested all was not right with Ka Ying Rising. Hayes later got a phone call from son, JD, who asked at lunchtime if everything was alright with the Hong Kong champion.
“I came back from trackwork (on Sunday) telling my wife (Prue), ‘I think the horse is as good as I can have him’,” Hayes said. “Then to read all that in the afternoon … it was just amazing.
“I thought it was funny at first, but after three hours of it I did my block. The phone went into meltdown for six hours. But to use a Donald Trumpism, it was fake news.
“There was absolutely nothing wrong with the horse whatsoever.”
Betting markets in Australia were telling a very different story.
On global exchange Betfair, Ka Ying Rising was being traded at a price which almost nudged $3, an extraordinary drift six days out from the race when Australia’s wagering giant, Tabcorp, had nailed his price at $1.50 for a week. He’s now eased to $1.75.
As Hayes’ phone kept ringing and ringing and ringing, even the Sydney stewards called to make sure Ka Ying Rising was in good health, bemused at the betting ball bouncing in only one direction.
On Monday morning, Ka Ying Rising should have put those rumours to bed with his last serious gallop before The Everest, which will be the first race he’s contested outside Hong Kong.
Racing NSW senior steward Steve Railton was on hand to watch the gallop, and the horse also underwent a veterinary assessment, which was already part of his routine and common in these parts for high-profile horses in the days before big-money races.
The Canterbury track has been closed to regular racing for weeks now to house Sydney’s overseas-trained spring carnival contenders such as the King Charles Stakes-bound Lake Forest and Japan’s Panja Tower, aiming at the Golden Eagle.
A grass section out the back of the tie-up stalls, usually used for car parking, has been fenced off to allow the horses like Ka Ying Rising to go for a walk and a pick of grass. The vacant area behind the quarantine stalls and main grandstand is so vast that a couple of hundred metres away some local kids were even practising golf moments after Ka Ying Rising’s trial, oblivious to the wild tale engulfing the Hong Kong hero.
But on the Canterbury track was where Ka Ying Rising was supposed to shine, to put X back in its spot. He did.
He steamed through a gallop in neat time, Hayes opting to trust his star horse rather than really test him. He clocked 38 seconds for his final 600 metres, rushing home in 12 seconds for the last furlong.
What concerns? 🤔
— Idol Horse (@idolhorsedotcom) October 12, 2025
Ka Ying Rising looking a picture of health in his gallop at Canterbury Racecourse this morning ahead of Saturday’s The Everest 🏔️
🎥 @app85 pic.twitter.com/ye7uCtGMB6
Crucially, he wasn’t as agitated as he was before last week’s divisive barrier trial and appeared to recover quickly after the gallop, which was conducted with ear muffs on to deafen the environment around him.
“The trial, which I rated by his performance a seven out of 10 … it must be remembered he’d never seen Randwick until that day,” Hayes said. “He was star-gazing down the middle of the track looking around. If he went there today, he would fly.
“I’d say if the conditions are right on the weekend, he’ll give the (track) record a shake. We’re very happy with him, his recovery was excellent and I think he’s ready to rumble.”
Hayes is not one to usually rely on the scales to help tell him how his horses are going, but it’s a tool he’s leant on a bit more since travelling to Sydney.
On raceday, he expects Ka Ying Rising to be 10 pounds below his weight for last week’s barrier trial, which didn’t exactly have Australian punters clambering to back him. It could be their loss.
But maybe the biggest concern is what happens before The Everest, with a sold-out crowd of about 50,000 people to create a heaving atmosphere at Royal Randwick.
Before a low-key barrier trial with no crowd milling for a look, Ka Ying Rising was agitated, a lather clearly visible between his hind legs before even going onto the track.
“That dress rehearsal helped a lot,” Hayes said. “I probably won’t show him too much to the public (on the day of The Everest) because he’s not used to the stripping shed environment.
“The (Australian Turf Club), if he’s a little bit uptight, are allowing us to go out the back. I understand Winx was able to do that as well. We know a nice and quiet place at Randwick to keep him calm so he doesn’t get as uptight and potentially hurt himself.”
You can bet he will be walking laps after lap after lap if he needs to, and for the sake of connections, hopefully as far away from the cameras as possible.
In 2025, the “truth” of a horse’s health can vanish under a cloud of viral nonsense. On Saturday, the answer will arrive the old-fashioned way – the real money shot – one horse, one finish line and an Everest winner. ∎
