Zac Purton believes Ka Ying Rising has the speed and versatility to overcome barrier 11 in the AU$20 million G1 The Everest (1200m) at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney on Saturday, 17 October, with the condition of the track likely to prove a greater concern than the draw.
The Hong Kong champion will be aiming for a second consecutive victory in the world’s richest turf race after guiding Ka Ying Rising to an emphatic success last season. However, with rain having significantly affected the Randwick surface earlier in the week, Purton is keen to assess the going before finalising the race strategy with trainer David Hayes.
The nine-time Hong Kong Champion Jockey believes the presence of Blue Door immediately inside Ka Ying Rising could help the defending champion secure a favourable early position. Trained by Bjorn Baker, the speedy three-year-old filly has drawn barrier nine and is expected to take an aggressive approach from the start.
“I don’t think the barrier is too bad. The leader of the race (Blue Door) is drawn just inside us, so hopefully we can just slide across with her and the way the weather is, the inside of the track might not be the place to be. It might end up helping us,” Purton said.
Baker confirmed that Blue Door would be ridden to make full use of her natural speed, with no change planned to the approach that has served the filly well.
“We won’t change anything with her. She’s a very fast filly so we’ll play to our strengths,” Baker said.
Ka Ying Rising’s Winning Streak in Focus at Randwick
Ka Ying Rising will arrive at Randwick seeking a 22nd consecutive victory, which would extend an extraordinary winning sequence for the Hong Kong sprinter. Purton, however, is taking little for granted, with the weather expected to have a significant bearing on how the 1200-metre contest unfolds.
The jockey intends to discuss tactics with Hayes after inspecting the course on Saturday. While Ka Ying Rising’s ability is well established on a dry surface, the prospect of testing conditions presents a different challenge.
“We’ll just work it out on the day. We’ll see how the track is first, and hopefully they’ve had the worst of it (wet weather) and the track is going to dry out. On a dry track, we know what he can do; on a wet track, we don’t (know), so I would prefer a dry track if we can get that,” Purton said.
“The barrier is okay – the track is more the important part.”
Randwick was downgraded from Good 4 to Heavy 8 after receiving 66mm of rain on Tuesday, 13 October. Conditions had improved to Soft 7 by Thursday, 15 October, with further upgrades possible as fine weather was forecast over the following three days.
Ka Ying Rising completed a smooth exercise at Canterbury Racecourse on Thursday morning, leaving Hayes satisfied with the preparation ahead of the major assignment.
“It was very smooth and he’ll have another canter tomorrow,” Hayes said. “I’m very happy with him.”
Giga Kick Faces Tough Challenge in The Everest
Giga Kick, the winner of The Everest in 2022 and runner-up in 2024, will start from barrier 12 with Dylan Gibbons aboard. The experienced sprinter returns to a venue where the record stands at two wins and four minor placings from 10 starts.
Trainer Clayton Douglas acknowledged the strength of the defending champion but remains confident that Giga Kick can be competitive against the wider field.
“He’s got a pretty good record in the race so we’ll see what happens,” Douglas said.
“It’s not going to be easy to beat Ka Ying (Rising), but in comparison to the rest I definitely think he’s right up to it.”
With Blue Door expected to establish the early pace, Ka Ying Rising likely to seek a prominent position and Giga Kick beginning from a wide gate, the opening stages could prove important in shaping the outcome. Much, however, will depend on how the Randwick surface responds to the forecast improvement in weather.
The Everest is scheduled to start at 1.15pm Hong Kong time on Saturday, 17 October, with Ka Ying Rising chasing another milestone in an already remarkable career.
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