It is the trial of a megastar that has form students from Hornsby to Hong Kong perplexed.
Will the Australian racing debut of superstar speedster Ka Ying Rising in The Everest in 11 days time prove a case of Ka Ying Kaching or Ka Ying Kaput?
Because after a blowout over 1000m at Randwick on Tuesday, which drew track watchers and clockers by the hundreds, the dominant favourite for Australia’s richest race was blowing big-time as assessors scratched their heads.
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DAILY TELEGRAPH – 7/10/25 Ka Ying Rising first public appearance before The Everest race at Royal Randwick. World’s fastest sprint horse. Trainer David Hayes pictured on left with Jockey Zac Purton. Picture: Sam RuttynSource: News Corp Australia
Master trainer David Hayes, who now calls Hong Kong home, said after the winner of its past 13 starts finished third behind Linebacker and Overpass in a trial also featuring champions including Mr Brightside and Fangirl the star “needed it”.
Fellow Aussie Zac Purton, a regular visitor to the winners stalls at Happy Valley and Sha Tin in Hong Kong, gave the 5-year-old a “pass mark” after letting it stride to the post with little vigour from himself. And everyone else? Let the debate begin.
Some quick background for the uninitiated as to what all the fuss is about. When it comes to racing, Ka Ying Rising is big.
Hong Kong loves its horse racing and there is no bigger star than the galloper with more than $10 million in its bankroll.
Like its trainers, Ka Ying Rising was reared in Australia and trialled with success at Moe under the name Mr Express before being sold to the horse racing haven of Hong Kong, where it was renamed Ka Ying Rising and placed with Hayes.
Six months later, after five more winning trials in Hong Kong, it debuted with distinction at Sha Tin, sh*tting in, so to speak in a Class 4 race over 1200m in December, 2023.
The Kiwi-bred sensation was edged out at its next two starts in January but returned to the victory stalls at Sha Tin midway through February last year and has kept on winning since then to build a reputation as the world’s premier sprinter.
Hayes, an icon in Australian racing, is no stranger to a champion horse. He rates Ka Ying Rising, which is assessed the best racehorse in the world on ratings, as the premier galloper he has trained. But it has not raced outside of Hong Kong.
DAILY TELEGRAPH – 7/10/25 Ka Ying Rising first public appearance before The Everest race at Royal Randwick. World’s fastest sprint horse. Picture: Sam RuttynSource: News Corp Australia
The lure of The Everest and its $20,000,000 in prize money proved a lure too big to ignore and Ka Ying Rising arrived in Sydney recently after serving quarantine in both countries following a sound first-up win in Hong Kong in September.
While Australian sprinters are considered the best in the world, with star mare Asfoora clinching another international Group 1 triumph at the prestigious Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe meeting in Paris on Sunday, Ka Ying Rising has been all the rage.
He is assessed as a $1.50 favourite for the Sydney slot race but it is indisputable that after his trial on Tuesday, the trainers of Aussie hopefuls will have more confidence that their stars can at least test the superstar. Because the trial has pundits buzzing.
Some pondered whether Ka Ying Rising had dropped a little fitness on its trip down under. Others felt that Purton kept plenty up his sleeve — the Aussie hoop certainly seemed unmoved in the saddle — while noting there is no prize money for trials.
Hayes expressed some concern that Ka Ying Rising got a little fizzed up by the onlookers, which is surprising given it has raced in front of massive crowds in Hong Kong and will be forced to perform in front of a capacity crowd at Randwick as well.
But he also noted it had not seen a horse in weeks as it served its time in quarantine and will be far better for the initial hitout, with another to come next Monday prior to its appearance in The Everest.
“It was a good, solid trial but he did need it. He blew a few cobwebs out and he’ll really come on a lot for that,” Hayes said.
“He’ll have a nice gallop on Monday and he’ll be right for the big one. He’s about 20lb above his racing weight and I’ll expect it to come down a bit in the next week.
“Hopefully he’ll improve from the experience. He’s had a look at Randwick now. He hasn’t been away from Sha Tin for a long time _ that’s his only track _ so to have a look around here was very, very good for him.”
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – OCTOBER 07: Zac Purton riding Ka Ying Rising race in a Barrier Trial during Randwick Barrier Trials at Royal Randwick Racecourse on October 07, 2025 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Jeremy Ng/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Purton noted that Ka Ying Rising raced on the wrong leg — it was leading with its outside leg as opposed to inside — but will take significant improvement from the trial.
He looked to keep Ka Ying Rising running after the post on Tuesday, with The Everest an additional 200m further than the trial.
“(It is a) pass mark. (It) needs to improve,” he said.
“He hasn’t had a run for about a month and he hasn’t done too much serious work in that amount of time, so it was the first time he’s done anything competitive in a while.
“The track was a little bit soft for him. He’s not totally at home on that ground. But I thought he trialled well enough. I think he’ll come on a bit from that.”