Plenty of drama has surrounded Ka Ying Rising ahead of Saturday’s A$20 million The Everest (1200m) at Randwick, but trainer David Hayes assures everything is fine with the Kiwi-bred sprinting sensation.
“I got a call yesterday (Sunday) at lunchtime from JD, my son, and Gareth Hall (racing broadcaster) had rung him and said his twitter account had been hacked and sent out some false information, which basically had him scratched, lame in behind and not eating,” Hayes said. “That’s not the horse I have been training anyway.
“The phone went into meltdown for about six hours, but to use a Donald Trumpism, it’s fake news.”
Ka Ying Rising put any doubts to bed following his trackwork gallop at Canterbury on Monday, where he pleased Hayes with his hit-out.
“We are really happy with him,” Hayes said. “He just went out on the beautiful Canterbury track this morning and ran home in 38 under a nice hold, and his recovery was excellent.”
The son of Shamexpress finished third in his 1000m trial at Randwick last week and Hayes said he has benefited a lot from that run.
“I think he has really improved from that trial. The idea of the trial was to bring him on, and I think it has,” he said.
“I am sure if we trialled him today, he would be a nine out of 10. He has made the progression we thought he would and we are expecting a bold showing. I love the weather pattern as well, a nice, firm track will only help.
“I think he is ready to rumble.”
The all-important barrier draw will take place tomorrow night (Tuesday), with Hayes hoping to secure an inside marble.
“As close to the rail as possible, that would be the best,” he said. “In Hong Kong, they jump and really go hard because they have only got 200m to the turn. In Sydney, they have got a nice 600-700m run. The tempo isn’t quite as hectic, so the barrier is not quite so important for him.
“He has got incredible gate speed and he has got the ability to take a sit, so he is pretty foolproof.”
Bred by Marton horseman Fraser Auret under his Grandmoral Lodge Racing banner, Ka Ying Rising has been an unstoppable force for trainer David Hayes in Hong Kong, winning 14 of his 16 starts in the competitive racing jurisdiction and amassed more than $HK68 million (NZ$15.2 million) in prizemoney. – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
