Zac Purton is keeping one eye on the Sydney sky ahead of Ka Ying Rising’s final Everest trial on Tuesday, with heavy rain forecast for Randwick and the champion jockey happy to learn what the Hong Kong superstar makes of soft ground.
Ka Ying Rising heads a six-horse field in a 1000m trial for horses entered in The Everest or King Charles III on the Randwick course proper at 9am on Tuesday. He meets two likely Everest rivals in Angel Capital and Joliestar, along with Amazing Journey and Apocalyptic – confirmed Everest starter Ninja is the other horse nominated but he is likely to contest Saturday’s G2 Premiere Stakes at Randwick instead.
The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast a 95 per cent chance of rain in Sydney on Saturday, with up to 20mm possible and thunderstorms likely later in the day, before conditions ease early next week. How much of that moisture is still in the Randwick surface by Tuesday morning could shape the last test Ka Ying Rising faces before raceday on October 17.
“This time, it’s going to be weather-dependent,” Purton said. “There’s a lot of rain forecast in Sydney in the next few days, and possibly on his trial day as well. So that sort of throws a little bit of a spanner in the works. But, you know, if it is wet, then I’ll get a feel for how he can handle the soft ground down there.”
Wet ground remains one of the few genuine unknowns around a horse who, by Everest day, will not have been beaten in 1,000 days. Purton dismissed the suggestion that Ka Ying Rising has already proven himself on rain-affected tracks in Hong Kong.
“People like to say that he’s seen some moisture on the tracks here, but he’s still run 1:08. So that tells you that the tracks haven’t been that soft,” he said. “If you get a soft track in Australia, there’s no doubt they’re not running that time. So he’s untried on the ground.”
That leaves soft ground as one of the few hopes for a field that looks increasingly outmatched 15 days out from the world’s richest turf race. Ka Ying Rising is a 1.3 favourite with bookmakers after breaking the Sha Tin 1200m course record for the fifth time on September 6, clocking 1:06.11 under top weight.
Purton has never rated last year’s Everest among the gelding’s best efforts, and believes the Randwick trial that preceded it told the same story. In that hit-out, Ka Ying Rising finished third over 1000m behind Linebacker and Overpass in 58.39s and attracted criticism from Purton himself.
“I think history tells us that even though we won The Everest, that was his worst performance of the season,” he said. “So his trial before The Everest was, as I said at the time, a pretty poor trial by his standards.”
Trainer David Hayes has had Ka Ying Rising further forward in fitness this time, and Purton’s aims for Tuesday are modest.
“As far as him, we just want to see him parade well, handle himself well, and know that he’s a bit more comfortable down there this year,” Purton said. “And then, you know, he’ll trial however he trials. It’s just reacquainting with Randwick.”
Hayes said this week the sprinter had thrived at his Canterbury quarantine base. “I think he’s a better horse than he was this time last year,” he said this week. “And the rating says that anyway, doesn’t it? About 10 pounds up from last year.”
Behind the favourite, the shape of the field is still taking form, with uncertainty remaining around a number of slots. Blue Door joined Ka Ying Rising, Ninja and Headwall as confirmed starters this week, while Jimmysstar is still waiting on a call after his Manikato win.
Saturday’s G2 Premiere Stakes (1200m) at Randwick is less a proving ground than a final tune-up for several of the challengers. Five of the 12 horses in the latest Idol Horse Power Rankings are among the 15 starters: Tempted, Headwall, Ninja, Mazu and King’s Secret.
Tempted, who hasn’t been beaten since finishing second to Ka Ying Rising in The Everest last year, has been backed from $1.80 into $1.60 despite drawing barrier 11. Headwall is there for the race fitness Matthew Smith wants after a year off the scene.
Ninja’s trial entry alongside Ka Ying Rising is a precaution, and he looks set to line up on Saturday as he bids to improve on his ninth in The Shorts. Tommy Berry told Racing and Sports’ Ray Thomas the Fairway Thoroughbreds runner was going well and that the run behind Mazu, from the widest gate, was better than it looked.
“We drew the widest barrier and I had to ride him conservative (early) and it was gifted to the horses on speed,” Berry said.
Berry signalled a return to the tactics that won the Missile Stakes first-up.
“I think in the Premiere we will see him back on top of the speed like he has been at his best,” he said. “He loves to absorb that pressure and can sprint off it. We saw that first-up in the Missile.
“We tried something last start because he drew poorly and we’re not disappointed in what we did because we had to take our medicine a little bit. It didn’t work out. So, I think going forward you’ll see us riding him a lot more positive like we have in the past.” ∎
