Ka Ying Rising will defend his A$20 million The Everest crown even if he’s faced with a waterlogged track, according to trainer David Hayes, as Sydney’s fickle weather threatens to challenge Hong Kong’s champion like never before.
The world’s best racehorse had his last serious gallop before taking on Australia’s best sprinters at Royal Randwick, with Hayes oozing confidence Ka Ying Rising was a “10 per cent better” speedster than last year.
But the weather forecast is grim: showers are expected in Sydney for the majority of the week, with a significant band of rain due to arrive on raceday.
Ka Ying Rising has only raced once on a soft track in his career and appeared to labour slightly in the ground when narrowly beaten by Everest rival Ninja in a barrier trial run on a soft track last week.
Asked whether he was 100 per cent committed to running Ka Ying Rising, even if presented with a heavy track, Hayes said on Monday: “We are. It’s just too big a logistic (exercise) to scratch. The Everest is different.
“It would just be we would be less confident if it was wet. Zac (Purton) has given himself wiggle room on the wet. He thinks he’s not as good on it with the long grass, but I saw him when I bought him win a trial on very heavy ground in Australia.
“It was only a trial, but he looked pretty good to me.”
The Everest’s 12 slotholders fork out $700,000 each for the privilege of choosing a horse to run in the race, with any scratchings reverting to a select group of horses from the Sydney Stakes, who can then line up in the world’s richest turf race.
If Ka Ying Rising wasn’t to run, the Jockey Club, which is leasing a spot in The Everest under a multi-year deal, would then have to choose an Australian-trained replacement.
But Hayes has assured Ka Ying Rising’s legion of fans he will line up at Royal Randwick despite facing arguably the toughest test of his career, trying to extend his mesmerising winning streak to 22.
Ka Ying Rising remains a $1.30 chance with most Australian bookmakers to join Redzel (2017-18) as the only consecutive winners of The Everest, and looked sharp in a gallop at Canterbury Park’s quarantine centre in front of Australian media.
“The riding boy was very happy with him, and what I was particularly happy with was his recovery,” Hayes said.
“Four minutes after the gallop, if you didn’t know he galloped you wouldn’t have been able to tell he had (one). His recovery was excellent. He’s in a great space. He’s lost 10 pounds from that trial and we’re really happy with him.
“What that trial has done has got him back into gameday mode. It’s brought him on beautifully. That was his strongest gallop.”
Godolphin sprinter Tempted remains Ka Ying Rising’s biggest danger according to betting markets, unbeaten in five Australian starts since flashing home for second in last year’s The Everest. Her liking of Royal Randwick and wet tracks will be a lure to punters.
But Hayes is adamant she will face a much better horse this year.
“I thought (Ka Ying Rising’s) Everest win was probably the least impressive for the 12 months and we were particularly easy on him last year being his first time travelling,” Hayes said.
“This year, he’s probably had a 10 per cent workload increase. We’ve just done a little bit longer slow work this time and I think he’s 10 per cent better than last year.” ∎
