‘Needs to be better’: Everest favourite’s camp weigh in on trial run

Zac Purton gave Hong Kong superstar Ka Ying Rising a pass mark, but said he needed to be better on Everest day after a solid performance in his only Australian trial heading into the $20 million race.

The world’s best sprinter, which has firmed into $1.50 (Sportsbet) favourite for the October 18 showpiece, finished third in a dress rehearsal that attracted a crowd not often seen at a midweek city meeting, let alone a trial, at Randwick on a Tuesday.

Ka Ying Rising before his trial at Randwick on Tuesday.Credit: Steven Siewert

The David Hayes-trained headliner that’s on a 13-race winning streak in Hong Kong paraded alone in front of about 200 people before heading out to the track and an even larger crowd. The process was designed to prepare Ka Ying Rising and his handlers for a Randwick race day.

The winner of more than $10 million in stakes started well from the outside gate in the seven-horse 1000m trial and led alongside Bjorn Baker-prepared Overpass, which will also race in the Everest.

Linebacker, a surprise addition to the trial set down for Everest and King Charles III Stakes horses, raced in behind and then chimed in late to win, finishing narrowly ahead of Overpass and Ka Ying Rising.

Linebacker ran 58.39 seconds for the trip, with the last 600m clocked as 33.67. Mr Brightside, which is racing in the King Charles III Stakes on Everest day, was next best. Everest runners Joliestar and Angel Capital finished well back in quiet hit-outs.

Racing fans were eager to get a look at Ka Ying Rising at Randwick on Tuesday.Credit: Steven Siewert

Ka Ying Rising has spent the last four weeks in quarantine ahead of taking on Australia’s best sprinters in the world’s richest race on turf.

Australian star Purton, Hong Kong’s leading jockey, flew in and out for the trial and will be back on board for Everest day, which was declared a sell-out on Tuesday. He said the hit-out was “OK” on a softer track than Ka Ying Rising usually finds at home. The surface was rated a Good 4, but Randwick had received overnight rain.

“He felt a little bit big,” Purton said.

“He was a bit toey in the saddling stall when I saw him out there, and we all saw him in the parade room.

‘He’s got to be at his best, and I think he’ll be pretty close to it with that trial run.’

“He had the sweat coming out between his back legs, certainly feeling the moment a little bit, and then carrying the extra condition compared to his racing weight, on the softer ground, he obviously felt it a little bit. But he’s going to tighten up from that and improve, which is what we want.

“The ground is a bit softer than what he’s used to, so he’s going to need to tighten up a little bit and hopefully come on, but I thought he got through it … it’s an OK, it’s a pass mark, but I think he needs to be better on race day.”

Australian hall of fame trainer Hayes was happy with the trial but said Ka Ying Rising “needed it”.

He quipped that “it must be noted, Zac is often very pessimistic”, to which Purton replied: “Well, I’m standing next to the eternal optimist”.

The next time Ka Ying Rising runs at Randwick with there be 50,000 people watching.Credit: Steven Siewert

“He’s got to be at his best, and I think he’ll be pretty close to it with that trial run,” Hayes said of taking on Australia’s best.

“You see, he’s been in quarantine for a month and hasn’t raced for six weeks, so he really needed it.

“He had a really, as expected, a healthy blow. And if you look at a couple of horses that, on my look, I thought the leader [Overpass] went flat out and Linebacker had a really good, hard hit-out.

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“And then he went probably as easy, [if not] a bit easier than the contenders behind him, so you’ve just got to look at it a few times. And I promise you he’ll be 20 pounds lighter next week.

“He’s about 20 pounds above his goal weight. Travelling, that’s excellent, and that’ll trim down, and that was the idea for today.

“He’ll have an easy few days, and then on Monday he’ll have his final gallop at Canterbury, and that’s sort of his normal routine, and I think that it will bring him on.

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