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Ka Ying Rising wins $20m Everest at Randwick
Trevor Marshallsea, AAP • October 18th, 2025 7:08 pm
Jockey Zac Purton has ridden Ka Ying Rising to victory in The Everest | Photo: Dan Himbrechts/AAP
Hong Kong gelding Ka Ying Rising has confirmed his superstar status by winning the world's richest race on turf, the $20 million The Everest (1200m) at Randwick.
Ridden superbly by his regular jockey, Hong Kong-based Australian Zac Purton, Ka Ying Rising settled in third, took the lead passing the 300m mark, and surged clear towards the line for a dominant win.
Ciaron Maher-trained pair Tempted and Jimmysstar took second and third, with Bjorn Baker's Overpass fourth after leading.
The victory for Ka Ying Rising - who started as an odds-on favourite with most bookmakers - brought a huge sigh of relief for the five-year-old's veteran Australian trainer, David Hayes.
Arriving as the winner of 14 of 16 starts, Ka Ying Rising had drawn huge media attention since landing in Sydney late last month, especially when he could manage only third in a barrier trial on October 7.
But on the big stage at a packed Randwick, the New Zealand-bred sprinter looked back near his best, leading in a field of many of Australia's finest short-course gallopers to score his fifth Group 1 success.
Sydney has turned on a cracking day for The Everest at Royal Randwick | Photo: Dan Himbrechts/AAP
"It's an absolute thrill," Hayes said post-race.
"I can't wait to watch the replay and enjoy it. It's a long straight isn't it, when you hit the front with 300 metres to go?
"But I think he held up pretty well. Great ride by Zac.
"I actually would've been shattered had he lost today, truth be known, when he was so calm an hour before the race. I think there's more to come with this horse.
"It's certainly the biggest thrill of my life, and it's been the longest 10 days in my life."
The $7 million first prize money took Ka Ying Rising's earnings to $19.5 million.
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