From Boos To Silence: Ka Ying Rising Eases Into Everest Title Defence
David Hayes rates the world’s best racehorse “conservatively 10 per cent” better than last year after a smooth 16-hour trip from Sha Tin to Canterbury Park.
From Boos To Silence: Ka Ying Rising Eases Into Everest Title Defence
David Hayes rates the world’s best racehorse “conservatively 10 per cent” better than last year after a smooth 16-hour trip from Sha Tin to Canterbury Park.
22 September, 2026The last time Ka Ying Rising walked onto an Australian racetrack it was to a chorus of boos from a partisan crowd, a reception usually favoured by rabid football fans for opposition teams in high stakes matches.
Eleven months later, the Hong Kong legend pranced onto another Sydney racecourse at 7.08am under leaden skies in front of about a dozen people: a few officials, journalists and camera operators. The rest of the city was only just emerging from its slumber. There were no raucous cheers or jeers, mostly silence, as the world’s best racehorse stretched his legs for the first time since arriving back in Australia.
After a gruelling 16-hour journey from David Hayes’ Sha Tin base to Canterbury Park’s quarantine centre, which will again serve as home for his tilt at back-to-back titles in the A$20 million The Everest next month, Ka Ying Rising barely got into a trot.
He likes records, but here was an attempt at a new one. Has there ever been a faster horse nursed to go any slower? A half-fit punter could have thrown a pair of sneakers on and worked next to him.
Ka Ying Rising’s track rider made sure his horse hugged the outside fence, completing two-and-a-half laps of very gentle exercise, before U-turning at the track’s 400-metre mark and returning to the sanctuary of his barn 26 minutes later. It’s all part of the plan.
“Going into the trial (next month) we’re going to lengthen his slow work, which we have been doing all season in preparation (for The Everest),” Hayes later said.
There are few more positive people in the world than Hayes, and he only needed a few minutes to rate Ka Ying Rising “conservatively 10 per cent” better than last year, when he comfortably handled Australia’s best sprinters at Royal Randwick.
When he arrived at Canterbury on Monday, Ka Ying Rising immediately put his head down. Not to sleep, but to have a pick of grass.
“He nearly took the mafoo with him,” Hayes laughed. “In Hong Kong they don’t see any grass, and he really loved having a pick last year.”
Ka Ying Rising stepped on the scales having only lost five kilograms from the long transit. This season, he’s been seven kilograms heavier anyway. His temperature is fine, his appetite not diminished. Tick.
“I was just talking to my vet, and she said she really thinks he handled it better than he did last year,” Hayes said. “Last year was fine, but we’re all better for the run.
“He’s a heavier horse, but that’s a big positive as far as I’m concerned. You can never be too confident when you’re travelling internationally, but we’re confident in the process we’re going to do.”
It’s less than a month until the world’s richest turf race, but outside of Ka Ying Rising, only one other horse has officially been confirmed for the October 17 showdown: Michael Freedman’s Ninja.
It’s expected Australia’s best short-coursers such as last year’s runner-up Tempted, Royal Ascot placegetter Joliestar and crack three-year-old Guest House will all line up in the race, but opposition has been scant. Call it the Ka Ying Rising effect. Bookmakers have even installed him as a $1.35 favourite for the race, which looms as his 22nd consecutive victory.
So, where are all his rivals going to come from?
“That doesn’t worry me at all,” Hayes said, citing the horse’s string of track records his horse has re-set at Sha Tin since last year’s Everest. “We were all wondering how the form would hold up (in 2025), whereas this year we’ve got no doubt he’s improved.
“This year, I’ve been watching the sprinters very closely and I think there’s clearly some good ones. But they’ve probably got to improve a lot, and he’s got to lose a bit of form the way I’m looking at it.
“And I don’t think he has.”
Hayes will follow a similar route with Ka Ying Rising, opting to trial him on October 6 before raceday.
Last year’s hit-out caused an enormous stir when an agitated Ka Ying Rising performed below expectations in the trial, sparking wild online speculation days later the horse was not right and could be withdrawn from The Everest. His price ballooned with bookmakers before all betting markets were suspended. Ka Ying Rising, Hayes insisted, never had anything wrong with him.
“I spent probably 10 days trying to reassure everyone he was right,” Hayes said.
“He had a big following (on raceday) when we were getting him ready down in the stalls and then when he went out on the track, I was a bit taken aback. They did boo him and it was quite a big boo.
“Then when he won they gave him a warm reception. Hopefully he will be better received by the general public this year.” ∎
