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By Ray Hickson

Ka Ying Rising’s trainer David Hayes has outlined his plans for preparing the champion sprinter for the first of what he'd like to be two attempts at the $20 million TAB Everest.

Given the Hong Kong Jockey Club leased the ATC’s slot in the Group 1 sprint for two years it’s not a huge surprise that the club is looking beyond just this year.

Hayes confirmed on Sky Sports Radio the path he intends to use to win the TAB Everest with the best horse he's ever trained.

The rising five-year-old’s program for his first race outside Hong Kong will begin at home with either a run in the Chief Executive’s Cup, which he won last year under 61kg, in early September or an exhibition gallop prior to entering quarantine that night.

He’ll arrive at Canterbury with enough time to spare following quarantine to have a barrier trial at Randwick, with Zac Purton to travel home to ride, 10 days out from the Everest.

Hayes said it’s exciting to be bringing Ka Ying Rising to Sydney some eight years after he went so close in the inaugural Everest with Vega Magic.

“Normally If there wasn’t a race like the Everest you’d go to Japan, but with the Everest there if he was good enough to win it, and handled the trip, I would go back to the Everest and try and do two,’’ Hayes said.

“I ran second in it before I went to Hong Kong, I’d love to win it and I’d love to be part of it. I’d certainly be planning, if it worked, to do it again.

“He’s a good traveller, he travels to China after every run which is a three hour float trip. I’m not at all concerned with this horse travelling because he’s done a lot.”

Three horses have so far been confirmed for the TAB Everest, run on October 18, and Ka Ying Rising is $1.80 with TAB ahead of the two others with slots – Private Harry (Yulong) and Briasa (Whitby/Werrett group).

A win in the Everest, extending his winning run to 13, will see Ka Ying Rising remain in Sydney for the Russell Balding Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill Gardens two weeks later, adding another dimension to Golden Eagle Day.

“If he doesn’t win I’d say we’ll pack up and go straight back to Hong Kong,’’ he said.

Hayes said he’s unlikely to be bringing any other horses to race but Ka Ying Rising will have a travelling companion and given his champion’s demeanour at home he expects the trip to Sydney to be uneventful.

“He’s the highest rated (sprinter) in the world and one of the things that makes them, when they are that level, is he’s pretty straightforward,’’ he said.

“Providing he settles in I’m very confident my AT (assistant trainer) and riding boy know the routine.

“You plan everything, keep him in a very strict routine, a routine he’s comfortable with, and you just rinse and repeat and he doesn’t let you down.”

The Hong Kong champion’s presence in Australia’s biggest sprint will reignite chatter and comparisons with the unbeaten Black Caviar who won the last of her 25 races at Randwick in 2013.

Hayes said there’s pressure involved in training a horse like Ka Ying Rising and had his say on where he believes the horse stands alongside Australia’s sprint darling.

“I’ve saddled thousands of favourites and I normally don’t get nervous at all,’’ he said.

HE DOES IT AGAIN! 🚀

Ka Ying Rising makes it 12 straight wins, four Group 1s and a HK$5 million Speed Series bonus with victory in the 2025 Chairman's Sprint Prize... @zpurton #FWDChampionsDay | #HKracing pic.twitter.com/IvPSPH9pcn

— HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) April 27, 2025

Ka Ying Rising's latest win at Sha Tin (Video: HKJC Racing on X)

“But when you have a horse starting at $1.10, like Pete (Moody) had with Black Caviar, it’s great to have it and they should win and they normally do but you just think ‘what if they get beat’.

“I can honestly say I do feel the heat a bit with this horse now he’s getting up to 13,14,15, wins in a row.

“Black Caviar is my favourite horse, at the same stage he is very similar to her but he’s still got to get to (25).

“At the same stage he’s comparable to her, I wouldn’t say he’s better but comparable.”

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