Trainer: David Hayes
Jockey: Zac Purton
Slot-holder: Hong Kong Jockey Club (leased from ATC)
Barrier: 11
Weight: 58.5kg
TAB: $1.50
Seemingly unbeatable for so long, Ka Ying Rising’s stranglehold on the race has been loosening slightly, in the public view at least, as the Everest nears. Sound familiar?
asserted
Everest → lease → view
Last year, it was a plain trial effort behind Linebacker and Overpass that sparked speculation the Hong Kong superstar had not handled the trip for his first overseas mission and test away from the pristine Sha Tin surface.
asserted
superstar → spark → surface
He still won by a length and a quarter, even though Hayes and Purton said he was below his best.
asserted
he → win → best
This year, a likely wet track is the question mark as he returns as the world’s highest-rated horse with another four Sha Tin track records and lessons learned from last time.
asserted
he → return → time
His lone Randwick trial, held on a soft 7, was better, but again he was shaded, this time by Ninja.
asserted
he → hold → Ninja
The six-year-old, expected to take his winning streak to 22 on Saturday and prizemoney past $37 million, has raced just once on rain-affected going, and won.
asserted
old → expect → going
Hayes has concerns about a genuine heavy Randwick track, which seems a real possibility, but he has also seen his star power through slush in trials.
asserted
star → have → trials
A wide draw is another factor, but his early speed should overcome that.
asserted
speed → overcome → that
New challenges, but class usually prevails.
asserted
class → prevail → ?
Jimmysstar
Trainer: Ciaron Maher
Jockey: Nash Rawiller
Slot-holder: TAB
Barrier: 8
Weight: 58.5kg
TAB: $13
Third last year despite a wide gate and run, Jimmysstar appeared a logical choice for another Everest, especially after winning the Russell Balding and CF Orr Stakes at his next two starts.
asserted
Jimmysstar → appear → starts
However, connections of the seven-year-old were weighing up other options after he finished five lengths away in the Memsie Stakes (1400m), before he was back to his best at 1200m when winning the Manikato last start to lock in another Everest with TAB.
asserted
he → weigh → TAB
He has performed well on wet tracks, with five wins and four placings in 13 runs, including victory on a soft 7 at Randwick in the Russell Balding, but he is yet to tackle heavy ground.
asserted
he → perform → ground
Rawiller is a quality replacement for Ethan Brown in the saddle and a kind run and hot tempo should have the winner of $10 million in the money again.
asserted
winner → have → money
Trainer: Clayton Douglas
Jockey: Dylan Gibbons
Slot-holder: Coolmore
Barrier: 12
Weight: 58.5kg
TAB: $34
A biennial Everest specialist, Giga Kick returns for a third go at the race after winning in 2022 and finishing runner-up in 2024.
asserted
specialist → return → 2024
He has been 10th in the Moir Stakes and eighth in the Manikato Stakes this time in, but he has fired third up at Randwick before, winning the All Aged Stakes and finishing second in the TJ Smith Stakes.
asserted
he → fire → Stakes
A wet track could be an advantage, given he won the Champions Sprint on a heavy track last spring and was second in the 2023 TJ in his other run on it.
uncertain
he → give → it
The extreme outside draw looks a disadvantage, but runners coming down the outside might have an edge late in the day on a heavy, turn up track.
uncertain
runners → look → track
Trainer: Chris Waller
Jockey: Ben Melham
Slot-holder: Yulong Investments (owner)
Barrier: 2
Weight: 58.5kg
TAB: $51
Strangely the last confirmed starter for the race, the enigmatic stallion prospect for Yulong will run in his second Everest, this time for his owners.
asserted
prospect → confirm → owners
The five-year-old Harry Angel entire looked the likely pick for Yulong after running through the line strongly for sixth, two lengths away, last year for slot-holder James Harron, before snaring a long-awaited group 1 last start in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes a month ago at 1400m.
asserted
Angel → look → 1400
Confirmation, though, did not come until Monday.
asserted
Confirmation → come → Monday
Perhaps connections had an eye on the forecast, as well as their other options, such as three-year-old colt Paradoxium, which faded to fourth in the Roman Consul.
asserted
which → have → Consul
Often a tease for punters with his late surges to the line without winning, Angel Capital thrived on dry ground last start but has never raced on heavy going and has only a debut win on a soft 5 Cranbourne track to show from four goes on anything but good.
asserted
Capital → win → anything
Talented, but he will get back and 1400m appears his best distance.
asserted
m → get → ?
The inside gate should at least give him an economical trip in the running line.
asserted
gate → give → line
Caballus
Trainer: Bjorn Baker
Jockey: Tim Clark
Slot-holder: James Harron Bloodstock
Barrier: 10
Weight: 58.5kg
TAB: $151
The penultimate pick for the field, the six-year-old Darby Racing gelding was a surprise choice last Friday for some after finishing fifth, almost four lengths off Tempted, when first-up in the Premiere Stakes.
asserted
gelding → finish → Stakes
The group 1 Newmarket winner, though, has an exceptional second-up record of four wins in five attempts and is a tough, seasoned campaigner after coming back from a bleeding attack at Scone last year to break through at the top level.
asserted
winner → have → level
A wet track looks to be no help.
asserted
track → look → ?
He has won three times on soft going but all of those were on a five and his only try on heavy was an eighth in the Champions Sprint last November at Flemington.
asserted
try → win → Flemington
The wide gate is another obstacle, although he may be able to follow stablemate and expected front-runner Blue Door, drawn in nine, across.
6.
uncertain
he → follow → 6
Headwall
Trainer: Matthew Smith
Jockey: Kerrin McEvoy
Slot-holders: Max Whitby, Neil Werrett, Col Madden and Steve McCann
Barrier: 6
Weight: 58.5kg
TAB: $51
Looks over the odds after two excellent runs this preparation.
asserted
TAB → look → runs
The seven-year-old returned after a year out with a pastern injury to rattle home after finding trouble and finish a half-length behind Tempted in the Concorde Stakes (1000m), a race he won in 2025.
asserted
he → return → 2025
He was then strong again late when a length away from front-running winner Mazu in The Shorts (1100m).
asserted
He → run → Shorts
A solid tempo and an extra 100m could have him in the mix again.
uncertain
tempo → have → mix
Rain could enhance his chances.
uncertain
Rain → enhance → chances
He easily won both runs on heavy tracks, although one was on debut at Newcastle and the other was a midweek benchmark race for five-year-olds and above.
asserted
other → win → olds
He also has finished top three in all four soft-track runs, but he hasn’t raced on a wet track in more than two years.
asserted
he → finish → years
Smith was pleased with the middle draw, which should give McEvoy the chance to find a spot closer in the run.
asserted
which → please → run
Ninja
Trainer: Michael Freedman
Jockey: Tommy Berry
Slot-holder: Fairway Thoroughbreds (part-owner)
Barrier: 3
Weight: 58.5kg
TAB: $19
The first officially locked in for the Everest, Ninja was selected by part-owner John Camilleri, the man famous for breeding Winx, off his 1200m Missile Stakes win in August.
asserted
Ninja → lock → August
The first-up victory over Napoleonic and Angel Capital followed a three-year-old season featuring wins in the Vo Rogue Plate (1300m) and Hobartville (1400m), and a luckless second in the Magic Millions Guineas (1400m).
asserted
victory → follow → Guineas
Typically an on-pace runner which can absorb pressure, he made up decent ground after a run wide and back in the Shorts, when already in the Everest, but his stocks rose in an October 6 trial when going to the line just ahead of Ka Ying Rising on a soft 7 surface.
asserted
stocks → absorb → surface
…and 26 more, not listed.
The Aporia
