Ka Ying Rising has been narrowly beaten in his final trial before The Everest, running second to fellow Everest runner Ninja in a 1000m barrier trial at Royal Randwick on Tuesday 6 October.
The Michael Freedman-trained Ninja, ridden by Tommy Berry, beat the Hong Kong champion by 0.18 lengths, according to Racing NSW’s interim trial results. Zac Purton rode Ka Ying Rising for trainer David Hayes, and Just Horse Racing reported the Everest favourite cruised through the hit-out.
The trial result
Ninja ran the 1000m in 59.46 seconds on a Soft 7 track, with the last 600m in 34.28 seconds. Freedman also trained the third horse, Apocalyptic, who finished 2.88 lengths from the winner.
- 1st: Ninja (Michael Freedman, Tommy Berry)
- 2nd: Ka Ying Rising (David Hayes, Zac Purton), 0.18 lengths
- 3rd: Apocalyptic (Michael Freedman, Zac Lloyd), 2.88 lengths
- 4th: Joliestar (Chris Waller, James McDonald), 3.1 lengths
- 5th: Headwall (Matthew Smith, Kerrin McEvoy), 3.14 lengths
- 6th: Angel Capital (Chris Waller, Ben Melham), 3.26 lengths
- 7th: Amazing Journey (Ciaron Maher, Nash Rawiller), 5.58 lengths
A test on wet ground
Hayes had been keen to see Ka Ying Rising on a rain-affected track after heavy rain in Sydney on Saturday. “I actually want to see and dispel that rumour that he doesn’t go on the wet,” Hayes told the South China Morning Post before the trial.
A trial defeat is nothing new for the gelding at this stage of his Everest build-up. He finished third behind Overpass and Linebacker in the corresponding 1000m trial last year, Racing.com noted, before becoming the first overseas horse to win The Everest.
What’s next
Ka Ying Rising returns to Randwick for the $20 million Everest (1200m) on Saturday 17 October. The Hong Kong Jockey Club said a win would extend his Hong Kong record winning streak to 22 races and give him a 10th Group 1, matching the haul of Golden Sixty.
Ninja and Headwall have confirmed Everest starts, while Joliestar and Angel Capital are among the other likely runners. Our Everest field guide has where every slot stands, with final declarations closing at 10am on Tuesday 13 October.
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