Ka Ying Rising earned a “pass mark” from Zac Purton after a much-anticipated barrier trial, but the champion jockey says the sprinter’s first public appearance of the Sydney spring should be put into perspective.
A long-time favourite to win the $20 million Everest, Ka Ying Rising divided opinion on the merit of a minor placing in a 1000m heat at Randwick on Tuesday.
The world’s highest-rated sprinter drew a crowd, with his trademark speed evident as he jumped smartly from an outside draw and was allowed to skirt deep on the track before racing outside the leader Overpass.
While fellow Everest contender Overpass kept Ka Ying Rising at bay, it was left to Randwick Guineas winner Linebacker to take out the trial.
A half-head and a head separated the placings. The heat was run in 58.39 seconds with the 600m sectional covered in 33.67 seconds on a track rated in the good range.
Purton, who gave Ka Ying Rising an easier time compared to Josh Parr on Overpass, said it was a day out under simulated race conditions that the horse needed to have him in peak form for his first start outside of Hong Kong in the Everest at Randwick on October 18.
“Pass mark, needs to improve,” Purton told SENTrack.
Purton said Ka Ying Rising found the track softer than the sprinter was used to in Hong Kong.
“He desperately does need a dry track to show his best now … if he was screwed right down and a bit fitter, then he'd probably get through the ground a little bit more comfortably,” Purton said.
“But carrying a bit of condition and having not done much for a while, he was just grinding through the ground a little bit.”
Welcome to Randwick, KA YING RISING! 🏔️
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) October 6, 2025
The Hong Kong superstar has his first trial in Australia alongside his @tabcomau Everest rivals and finishes nicely! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/iT5OmtV9HC
Purton had earlier told a Sydney media contingent that Ka Ying Rising appeared disconcerted by his first visit to Randwick.
“I was a little bit concerned when I saw him in the saddling stalls. He was quite agitated,” Purton said.
“I could see him sweating and then even more so once he came into the parade ring.
“You could tell that the moment was getting to him a little bit, so it's good that he's had the dress rehearsal.”
‘Hopefully, he gets that out of his system and he's going to be better on race day … mentally he's going to need to just relax a little bit.
“Once I got on him, I felt him chill then so I thought that was a good.”
Trainer David Hayes expects Ka Ying Rising to make significant improvement between now and The Everest, as he too erred on the conservative side in assessing the trial.
“Look, it was a good, solid trial, but he did need it,” Hayes said.
“He hasn't raced for six weeks, and he blew a few cobwebs out, and he'll really come on a lot for that and he'll be right for the big one.
“He's about 20 pounds (9kg) above his racing weight and I expect it to come down a bit in the next week.”
Tim Rowe
Hayes was satisfied it was a worthwhile exercise to take Ka Ying Rising from the horse’s quarantine station at Canterbury to familiarise his stable star with Randwick surroundings.
“Hopefully, he'll improve for the experience. I'd say he's about 20 per cent different than Hong Kong so he could improve in that factor,” Hayes said.
“And that was something that you really wanted to make sure he got exposure to this morning, seeing the crowd … and being able to get a feel of the parade ring.”
Besides Ka Ying Rising and Overpass, two other Everest runners contested the barrier trial.
Joliestar finished more than seven lengths astern of the winner when fifth, and Angel Capital was a further two lengths away when last of the seven runners after racing ungenerously at the back of the field.
