David Hayes is undeterred after Ka Ying Rising was tasked with creating more history after drawing barrier 11 in The Everest at Randwick on Saturday.
In nine previous runnings of the race, no horse has been successful from the second-widest gate, although Bella Nipotina won from barrier 12 in 2024 when it was an 11-runner race due to a late scratching, but Hayes is undaunted by the challenge facing the world’s highest-rated horse who won the 2025 renewal from gate seven under Zac Purton.
The trainer said the Australian system of loading horses into the barrier, where the field is split into two divisions and loaded outwards – in the case of The Everest from gates one and gate seven – means Ka Ying Rising will be among the last horses to enter the stalls.
“I know Zac will be happy because he goes in second last, with the Australian way they load. In Hong Kong, he normally goes in last and he’s a bit fidgety in the gates, and that’s the little thing that can go wrong,” he said.
“He’s so fast, he can cruise across. If the tempo’s too fast for him, he’ll sit second or third, and if it’s not fast, he’ll lead.
“I’d be more worried about getting boxed in from (barriers) one, two or three. If he had a slow jump, I think he’ll be out of trouble, and the Randwick 1200 is wonderful – you’ve got a nice, long run to get across, so not chaotic like Sha Tin. Sha Tin, you’ve only got 200m and he still makes it easy to get across, doesn’t he?”
Ka Ying Rising will face 11 rivals this weekend with several of last season’s opponents returning for a second tilt at Hong Kong’s champion, including Tempted (second last year), Jimmysstar (third), Joliestar (fifth) and Angel Capital (sixth).
Tempted drew barrier one for Saturday’s contest, Jimmysstar jumps from gate eight and Angel Capital will start from barrier two, while Ninja – who shaded Ka Ying Rising in a recent 1000m barrier trial at Randwick – will begin from barrier three.
Hayes was less concerned with barriers than the prospect of a heavy track as Randwick soaked under 24 millimetres of rain on Tuesday.
“I’d be more worried about a heavy 10 than barrier 11. Luckily, it’s Tuesday. If it was Friday (16 October), I’d be a bit worried,” Hayes said of the rain. “It was always going to be a lot of rain today.
“I’ve seen him on wet ground. One day he won on a genuine yielding track, but his time was off a fast track, and the other races were yielding to slow.
“I’d be really worried going to the races if it was heavy. If it’s dead, I’m sure he’ll handle dead and I’m pretty comfortable he’ll handle slow and I really don’t know on heavy. ‘Aussie’ heavy is different to Hong Kong heavy.”
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