David Hayes will increase Ka Ying Rising’s workload as the defending Everest champion prepares to make his first public appearance in Sydney.
The world’s highest-rated racehorse has recovered the five kilograms he lost travelling from Hong Kong and settled comfortably into Canterbury’s quarantine facility.
However, Hayes does not intend to protect his superstar with a light preparation.
Ka Ying Rising will complete fast work before gradually extending the length of his exercise ahead of a barrier trial at Randwick on October 6.
“Going into the trial last year, I probably had him a bit underdone,” Hayes said, according to Punters.
“This year, he will be fitter.”
Ka Ying Rising Has Quickly Recovered From His Flight
Ka Ying Rising arrived in Sydney after travelling from Hong Kong on Sunday night.
The extended journey caused him to lose approximately five kilograms, but his handlers reported that the weight had already returned.
“I’m very happy with him. He’s put back on the small amount of weight that he lost from the flight,” Hayes said.
“Everything has gone according to plan.”
That represents a significant early victory for the stable.
International travel can affect a horse’s hydration, appetite and behaviour. Even minor changes can disrupt a tightly controlled preparation when the target is a $20 million Group 1 race less than four weeks away.
Ka Ying Rising entered the journey approximately seven kilograms heavier than at any previous stage of his career.
He consequently arrived in Australia at a weight that did not concern Hayes or the five-person travelling team responsible for monitoring him.
The gelding’s temperature, food intake and recovery have remained normal since he entered Canterbury.
Hayes Will Increase the Workload
Ka Ying Rising’s early exercise in Sydney was deliberately light as he recovered from the flight and adapted to his surroundings.
That phase is now ending.
“He’ll have some fast work on Saturday, and we’ll continue to give him longer work to maintain his fitness,” Hayes said.
The increased workload is designed to leave Ka Ying Rising better prepared for his Randwick trial than he was 12 months ago.
Although he won the 2025 Everest, his build-up was not flawless.
Ka Ying Rising was beaten in his only Australian barrier trial 10 days before the race, prompting questions about whether he had travelled successfully and retained his Hong Kong form.
Hayes later accepted that the gelding had been slightly underprepared entering that trial.
The horse was still capable of improving sufficiently to defeat Tempted and Jimmysstar in the Everest, becoming the first internationally trained winner of the race.
Hayes does not want to rely upon that improvement occurring again.
The revised preparation is intended to have Ka Ying Rising considerably fitter when Zac Purton rides him in the October 6 trial.
Hong Kong Victory Provided a Stronger Foundation
Ka Ying Rising’s final start before travelling was carefully managed with the Everest in mind.
The six-year-old resumed under 135 pounds in the Group 3 HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup Handicap at Sha Tin on September 6.
He extended his winning sequence to 21 races and completed the 1200 metres in 1 minute 6.11 seconds, breaking his own course record.
Hayes instructed Purton to begin testing the gelding from the 400-metre mark instead of allowing him to cruise through the closing stages.
The decision made the race more demanding than Ka Ying Rising’s corresponding victory a year earlier.
“In the race the other day, I asked Zac to let him quicken from the 400 and have a good hit-out, instead of easing him up,” Hayes explained.
“The year before, it was probably as easy a win as you would ever see, but it didn’t really help his fitness much.
“This year, he had a good hit-out, broke the course record, and that was a change we made.”
The approach carried some risk.
Ka Ying Rising was returning from a break and had recently received treatment for minor bruising to a hoof.
However, his performance suggested the issue had not affected his speed or action.
The hard race should also prevent Hayes from needing to force too much work into the gelding during quarantine.
Randwick Trial Will Provide the Clearest Test
The October 6 trial will be Ka Ying Rising’s only competitive appearance between his Sha Tin victory and the Everest on October 17.
Purton will travel to Sydney to ride him.
The trial result will inevitably attract attention, but his finishing position may be less important than his behaviour, recovery and response to Randwick’s surface.
Ka Ying Rising was unsettled by his unfamiliar surroundings during last year’s trial and appeared to spend part of the exercise looking around rather than concentrating entirely upon racing.
He still improved dramatically when returning to Randwick for the Everest.
This time, Hayes believes the gelding is more mature and better equipped to handle the change of environment.
“Everything has gone perfectly,” Hayes said.
“He’s a more settled horse this time and we’re looking forward to going back to Randwick for the trial on the sixth of October.”
The trial should indicate whether the intensified workload has left Ka Ying Rising sharp enough without pushing him beyond his peak before the main event.
A dominant trial would strengthen the expectation that he is ready to defend his crown.
A defeat would not automatically represent a problem, particularly if Purton is not required to fully extend him.
Hayes Believes His Champion Has Improved Again
Ka Ying Rising became the first overseas-trained horse to win the Everest when he conquered Randwick in 2025.
Hayes now believes the gelding is at least 10 per cent better.
“We’ve got no doubt he’s improved,” Hayes said.
“In his last four starts, he’s broken four track records. I think conservatively he’s 10 per cent better. It’s always hard to judge, but 10 per cent or more.”
The estimate is subjective, but the evidence supporting Hayes’ confidence is compelling.
Ka Ying Rising has continued winning while producing increasingly fast performances under significant weight.
His latest victory extended his extraordinary streak and lifted him to a rating of 135 in the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings.
He has also developed physically.
“He’s a bigger, stronger and more mature horse,” Hayes said.
“He’s a heavier horse, and that’s a big positive as far as I’m concerned. He raced heavier first-up than he ever has, and he raced better than he ever has.”
That combination creates a daunting challenge for Australia’s leading sprinters.
Australian Rivals Still Have Time to Emerge
Hayes has been closely monitoring the local sprinting division, with Joliestar and Tempted among the horses he respects most.
Joliestar will attempt to secure another Everest opportunity after winning the race in 2024 and finishing fourth behind Ka Ying Rising last year.
Tempted produced the strongest challenge to the Hong Kong champion in the 2025 Everest and remains capable of improving further.
Golden Slipper winner Guest House could also become a major contender if he wins the Golden Rose and Coolmore commits its slot to the colt.
However, Hayes believes the Australian sprinters must either improve significantly or hope Ka Ying Rising regresses.
“I’ve watched his Everest win, which I thought was his least impressive for the last 12 months,” Hayes said.
“There are some good ones, as there always are in Australia, but they’re probably going to have to improve a lot and he’s got to lose some form, the way I’m looking at it.”
That assessment sounds dismissive, but Ka Ying Rising’s record provides Hayes with considerable justification.
The danger is assuming another Everest victory will occur automatically.
International travel, quarantine, a different racing surface and the pressure of a 12-horse sprint can create problems that do not exist at Sha Tin.
Ka Ying Rising overcame those challenges last year, but he must do so again.
Familiarity Gives Hayes Greater Confidence
The most important difference between the two campaigns may be the stable’s familiarity with the process.
Hayes and his team now understand how Ka Ying Rising responds to the flight, Canterbury quarantine, Randwick and the atmosphere surrounding the Everest.
“It is not uncharted water for us this year,” Hayes said.
“You can never be confident when you’re travelling internationally, but we’re confident in the process we are going to do.”
Ka Ying Rising will represent the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s slot when the Everest is held at Randwick on October 17.
He will attempt to become only the third horse to win the race twice, joining Redzel and Think About It.
The first stage of his Australian preparation has unfolded almost perfectly.
He travelled well, regained his weight quickly and appears more settled than he was during his first visit.
Hayes will now intensify the work.
Ka Ying Rising arrived in Sydney as the horse every rival must beat. A fitter and more experienced preparation could make that task even more difficult.
