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SELECT 👉 Hagley Oval commentary"Great spot": When Purton knew that Ka Ying Rising would win The Everest
Connor Scanlon • October 20th, 2025 7:14 pm
Ka Ying Rising proved his doubters wrong on Saturday, winning the $20 million Everest in extraordinary fashion.
The Hong Kong superstar travelled exclusively to Australia for the 1200 metre race, alongside his trainer David Hayes and regular jockey Zac Purton.
While many question marks were put on the now nine-time Group 1 winner about whether he would be able to perform in Australia, he answered in the best way possible – with a victory.
Prior to the race Hayes and Purton’s main worry with Ka Ying Rising was would he be relaxed in parade ring?
And of course he was - the second Purton laid eyes on the five-year-old through a TV broadcast while the gelding was walking to the parade ring, the champion jockey knew his horse would be very hard to beat.
“The stable came and told me early in the day that he had settled in and said he looked very good,” Purton told SENTrack & RSN’s Giddy Up.
“I was comfortable with what they were telling me but when I saw him on the TV screen when he was still walking in the pre-parade, I could see the horse I was familiar with.
“I knew he was in a good space.
“He was a lot more switched on (compared to the trial).”
When it came to the actual race, Purton admitted that Ka Ying Rising was actually restless while in the gate.
But once the superstar got into his rhythm during the run, then the jockey became certain that no Australian horse could match his class.
“He was a bit restless in the gate, he was in there a bit too long and wanted to sit on the back of it, so he didn’t fly like he can,” Purton admitted.
“But he still got out well enough and once he got into his rhythm and I got into the spot that I did, I thought I was going to be pretty hard to beat.
“At the 200m mark (I knew I was going to win), I had a great spot.
“When Overpass went for home a little bit early, it got me off the bit and got me chasing him - I thought, ‘Alright, I’ve got to pick up here and get after him.’
“But once my horse started to knuckle down and he was hunting Overpass down, I thought we were going to be hard to beat.”
However, before the great sprint kicked off, the crowd at Randwick weren’t too friendly towards David Hayes though, which surprised Purton.
“I didn’t expect (the crowd to boo David Hayes),” Hayes admitted.
“It was just a wave of boos.
“But I don’t think they realised what they were doing, one person started it, then it just took off.
“He got the last laugh.”
David Hayes has already hinted at returning next year to The Everest for 2026’s edition.
Will we see Ka Ying Rising go back-to-back in Australia’s richest race?
