THE EVEREST – THE TITLE IS ON THE LINE

By Graham Potter | Thursday, October 16, 2025

It is often said that Australian sprinters are the best in the world and generally that claim goes unchallenged given the combination of their inherent strength on the home front and their notable successes on the international scene.

Well, they now have to defend that heavyweight title … and on home turf to boot … which is seriously under threat from the Hong Kong champion Ka Ying Rising, who already has the current World’s Best Sprinter ranking covered having earned a Timeform rating of 135, a rating one point more than Winx achieved and one less than that of Black Caviar.

Some experts have been pointing out supposed flaws in Ka Ying Rising’s preparation.

It’s just a naturally competitive instinct kicking in, isn’t it, trying to apply pressure to the perceived weak points of the visiting opposition (think Ashes test matches) whether actually believing it or not.

It's all part of the game ...but you have to be a brave commentator to be prepared to second guess a trainer with the outstanding, distinguished big race record of David Hayes.

This is the same David Hayes who famously travelled Better Loosen Up to Japan in 1990 and came away with a Japan Cup victory, something no Australian horse had done before, or since.

It would be safe to assume that Hayes has learnt a thing or two in the last thirty-five years and his expertise, knowledge and judgement, whether related to travelling horses or assessing and priming his horses for race action during their preparation, would be hard to oppose.

He says he has Ka Ying Rising ‘spot on.’

And for those who have said outright that Ka Ying Rising ‘cannot win The Everest’ … well he is alone against eleven opponents, so the numbers game is in their favour.

In essence, it is an army of Australian talent trying to take out the lone invader with massive bragging rights on the line.

A title is at stake. Not a fifteen-round battle, but just a touch under seventy seconds of race action will decide it (at approximately $100 000 a second for the race winner).

It is a big deal on so many levels.

No wonder Randwick is sold out!

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