Australia: Ka Ying Rising pushes win streak to 14 with Everest Stakes

There can be no doubt about it. Ka Ying Rising is the world’s finest sprinter.

Ka Ying Rising, based in Hong Kong, extended his winning streak to 14 races with a comfortable 1 1/4-length win in the world’s richest sprint – the Group 1, $13.09 million Everest Stakes at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia, on Saturday.

Ridden very confidently by his regular jockey, Zac Purton, Ka Ying Rising stalked Mazu through the first half-mile of the six-furlong race. Purton moved Ka Ying Rising into a three-wide position and took the lead with less than a furlong remaining. Ka Ying Rising had a clear lead in the final sixteenth.

“He had a beautiful run in the race,” Purton told the press. “I don’t think we saw him at his best today, and even though he was not at his best he’s still good enough.”

Ka Ying Rising ($3.70 in American pools), ran six furlongs in 1:08.13. Tempted (14-1) closed from the middle of the field of 12 to finish second, a neck in front of 13-1 Jimmysstar.

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The Everest Stakes was Ka Ying Rising’s first start outside of Hong Kong. A 5-year-old New Zealand-bred gelding by Shamexpress, Ka Ying Rising was in training in Australia before he was shipped to Hong Kong to begin his career in late 2023.

Trained by David Hayes, Ka Ying Rising has won 15 of 17 starts, and was the Hong Kong Horse of the Year in 2024-2025. The winning streak includes five Group 1 races, including six-furlong races against international fields in Hong Kong last December and in April.

The buildup to the Everest Stakes was not without its share of drama. After arriving in Sydney, Ka Ying Rising was the subject of social media rumors that he was ill-prepared for the Everest, a situation that trainer David Hayes quickly quashed.

On Oct. 7, Ka Ying Rising had a workout from the gate, or barrier trial, at Randwick. The trial featured seven horses; Ka Ying Rising finished third by a neck behind Linebacker, a Group 1 winner who won the Group 3 Silver Eagle Stakes at Randwick on Saturday.

At the time, Hayes told the press he was not concerned that Ka Ying Rising did not finish first in the trial.

On Saturday, Hayes described the Everest result as “the biggest thrill of my life. “It’s been the longest 10 days of my life, I think.”

Ka Ying Rising is expected to resume racing in Hong Kong this winter.

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