‘Fake news’ and a suspended betting market. The wild 24 hours of the Everest favourite

Trainer David Hayes returned home from track work on Sunday and told his wife, Prue, how his superstar horse Ka Ying Rising could not be any better heading into Saturday’s $20 million The Everest.

Then one of his sons, JD, picked up the phone around lunchtime and nervously asked if the rumours on social media that all was not well with Ka Ying Rising were true.

The speculation became so intense, especially given Ka Ying Rising’s following back home in Kong Kong – and the millions of dollars already invested on him to win The Everest – that the TAB briefly suspended betting on the Randwick feature.

Hayes was baffled; he assured the stewards everything was OK, and was glad the cameras captured Ka Ying Rising looking a treat as he completed his main piece of work at Canterbury on Monday morning.

Ka Ying Rising remains the $1.75 favourite for The Everest. And, according to Hayes, he is still the horse to beat.

“To use a Donald Trumpism, ‘it’s fake news’,” said Hayes, when asked about the social media storm.

Everest favourite Ka Ying Rising.Credit: Steven Siewert

“We’re really happy with him.

“I got a call at lunchtime yesterday from JD my son, [Melbourne radio personality] Gareth Hall had rung him and said his Twitter [X] account had been hacked, and had sent out false information that basically had him scratched, lame behind and not eating.

“It’s not the horse I’ve been training. The phone went into meltdown for about six hours.

“I thought it was funny at first, but after three hours of it, I did my block.

Ka Ying Rising trainer David Hayes and jockey Zac Purton.Credit: Getty Images

“When the fake news came out yesterday, Hong Kong went into a genuine spin.

“He’s an iconic horse in Hong Kong, and he will be more iconic if he’s lucky enough to win this big one.”

Racing NSW chief veterinarian Carly Garling inspected Ka Ying Rising and the other international runners taking part in Saturday’s Sydney program, which was normal protocol, “and all horses look well and are in good order”.

Garling said she would have another look at the foreign raiders on Friday.

‘I thought it was funny at first, but after three hours of it, I did my block.’

Hayes, who returned to Hong Kong for a second stint as a trainer in 2020, would love to win The Everest with Ka Ying Rising, a five-year-old gelding who has won 14 of his 16 starts, and is gunning for a 14th straight success.

Last year’s Everest winner, Bella Nipotina, had her first few career starts for Hayes before he had to move the mare on when he left Australia.

A healthy crowd turned up at Randwick last Monday to watch Ka Ying Rising finish third in a trial, which left punters divided about the star import and wondering if bookies were showing the horse too much respect.

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“The idea of that trial was to bring him on, and I think he has,” Hayes said.

“He ran home in 38 [seconds] under a nice hold, his recovery was excellent, and he’s really improved from his trial.

“If we trialled him today, he would be a nine out of ten, or a ten out of ten.

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