Twelve sprinters. One mountain. $20 million on the line.
Welcome to the ninth edition of the Group 1 The Everest where the world’s richest turf race will determine the sprint sensation of the season.
Royal Randwick will come to life on Saturday in a truly global event as Hong Kong hero Ka Ying Rising descends on the Sydney track to put his tag of the best sprinter in the land on the line against the local speedsters.
The flying visitor is odds-on in the markets to add a fifth Group 1 to his glowing CV, but will he be able to prove himself down under?
Last year’s seventh placed mare Joliestar from the Waller stable is the only one considered a major threat by the bookies under $10 for the win, but will she be able to atone for her luckless 2024 performance?
Below we take a look at each and every horse in this year’s The Everest field to sort out who to back and sack in another glittering edition of this great event.
Read on for our expert runner-by-runner guide to the 2025 The Everest!
- Top 2 – No. 1 Ka Ying Rising
- Top 3 – No. 2 Briasa
- Top 4 – No. 12 Tempted
| 1. Ka Ying Rising (7) J: Zac Purton 58.5kg 111×1T: David A Hayes | ||
| 12. Tempted (1) J: Craig Williams 51kg 31×13T: Ciaron Maher | ||
| 2. Briasa (10) J: Tyler Schiller 58.5kg 14×21T: M, W & J Hawkes |
1. Ka Ying Rising (7) – David Hayes
Odds: $1.80 (at time of publish)
Ka Ying Rising is the Hong Kong hero deserving of his accolades and the top spot in betting on this year’s The Everest.
The David Hayes trained son of Shamexpress has a near perfect record of 14 wins and two seconds from his 16 starts overseas and he’ll be out to add to that in his first Australian start on Saturday.
A four-time Group 1 champ, the 1200m specialist already has a baker’s dozen of wins over the six furlongs so is very well suited to The Everest distance.
After winning the Group 1 Chairman’s Sprint at Sha Tin in April at near even-money ($1.05) by over two lengths, he was last seen saluting at the same track and trip on September 7 carting a hefty 61kg to an effortless on-speed victory to defend his Chief Executive’s Cup title in style.
While there’s been some “fake news” and mixed reports of his condition since landing down under, Hayes has been quick to discredit the pot stirrers and believes his horse is spot-on for the big one.
Zac Purton is in Sydney for the ride and knows this guy very well, and barrier seven looks ideal.
There’s really no knocking the form, pedigree, recent performances or anything else about the word’s top-rated sprinter.
Impossible to tip against and likely to lead from barrier to box.
2. Briasa (10) – Michael, John & Wayne Hawkes
Odds: $15 (at time of publish)
Team Hawkes’ striking grey speedster Briasa is one I do like to add into the exotics coming in full of confidence at a very nice price.
The flashy Smart Missile gelding is another 1200m specialist with just one loss from seven runs at the distance ahead of Saturday.
He is also a dual champ at the Randwick track having taken out the autumn’s Group 1 TJ Smith by a narrow margin as well as the Group 2 Premiere Stakes at his latest on October 4 beating home Jimmysstar in sharp time.
Prior to that he was a length off Joliestar fresh in the Group 2 The Shorts so comes via the right local form races for another competitive performance.
Tyler Schiller sticks aboard but they’ll need to work to find the right position from wider out in gate 10.
That said, he is fit third-up and has beaten plenty of these before – not Ka Ying but!
The team has been bullish that he’ll give the super sprinter a run for his money and, if he can overcome the alley, I can see that scenario unfolding!
3. Overpass (9) – Bjorn Baker
Odds: $51 (at time of publish)
Overpass has been here before with Saturday marking his third attempt to rise to the summit in The Everest.
He was a midfield sixth at 40/1 in the 2022 edition won by Giga Kick before a disappointing 10th the following year to Think About It.
A good horse when in form, he’s a dual Winterbottom and The Quokka winner over in WA and one we know runs his best fresh.
Baker is well aware of that which is why he’s first-up into this run not having had a start since a Heavy (8) track got the better of him in Brisbane’s Group 1 Doomben 10,000 when ninth to Sunshine In Paris back in May.
His latest Sydney assignment however produced that neck away second to Briasa in the TJ Smith, so he ticks the circuit box.
Trialled well when runner-up to Linebacker in a 1000m Group hit-out here on October 7 – the same heat that Ka Ying Rising ran third in.
I think he’s probably outclassed but is known to turn it on when kicking off a campaign.
Overall, Overpass is probably past his peak, but another top six run isn’t out of the question.
4. Jimmysstar (11) – Ciaron Maher
Odds: $11 (at time of publish)
One of two in the field for Maher, Jimmysstar is a talented horse who has been among the best of the second tier hopes behind Ka Ying Rising all along.
He’s out to double-figures after drawing barrier 11 however but is still not without admirers for a big late run come Saturday’s feature.
Ethan Brown continues associations with the Per Incanto six-year-old who has a decent 1200m record (4:1-1-1) despite being proven up to 1500m.
He was thereabouts in the Group 1 William Reid (3rd) and TJ Smith (4th) last prep before beating Joliestar home in the All Aged over 1400m.
Resumed in the Group 3 Concorde Stakes (1000m) here at the start of September and lost few admirers when fifth only 1.7 lengths in a race that has produced more than one previous The Everest winner.
Then caught the eye in the Premiere Stakes flashing home from last on the turn to finish second to Briasa in a run full of merit.
The draw is a non-issue as Brown will take him back and they’ll be biding their time.
If the pace is as hot as the speed maps suggest then he’s the one to watch the closing stages.
Ticks plenty of boxes to run over the top of them if the likes of Ka Ying and the front running crew run out of steam.
5. War Machine (4) – Ben, Will & JD Hayes
Odds: $10 (at time of publish)
Lindsay Park saddle-up the early The Everest market mover with some money coming in for the airborne War Machine who is enjoying a purple patch of form.
The Stradbroke champ was excellent with a light weight at Eagle Farm to make it a winter hat-trick.
He then picked up where he left off in winning form destroying his Group 2 Gilgai Stakes rivals by two lengths down the Flemington straight.
Look, the class of rivals that day was obviously not the same as what he faces second-up, but he did it from barrier 15 of 15 with 60kg so will relish gate four in Sydney with 58.5kg at WFA.
His Stradbroke winning hoop Tim Clark jumps back aboard, he continues to deliver when asked, his lead-up win was electrifying, and I expect him to be there in the finish again.
6. Mazu (2) – Joseph Pride
Odds: $126 (at time of publish)
Maurice seven-year-old Mazu is another two-time Everest performer back for a third crack.
He rounded out the 2022 trifecta under a length off Giga Kick at a big price but was disappointing in 2023 when second last (11th).
Changed from the Snowden yard to Joe Pride’s care last year and has failed to recapture his best form.
Does his best work on rain affected ground so will appreciate the Slow rated track, and if there’s wet weather between now and then he’ll firm in the markets.
Fourth-up on Saturday having placed fourth in The Shorts and third in the Premiere Stakes on Good (4) tracks but would really need to produce something special to stay in touch with them this time having faded late last start.
7. Jedibeel (8) – Brad Widdup
Odds: $151 (at time of publish)
The Brad Widdup trained Jedibeel is the rank outsider at 150/1 The Everest odds at time of publish and even with the booking of triple winning hoop Kerrin McEvoy it is hard to make a case for him to run better than his triple-figure price suggests.
The Savabeel six-year-old was a first-up winner here back in March beating Kimochi home in the Group 2 Challenge Stakes but was trailing his rivals home in his next two when 9th in The Galaxy and 10th in the TJ Smith.
His subsequent winter and spring runs leading-up to this have left plenty to be desired including a fourth in the Premiere over four lengths beaten when caught back and never proving a threat.
An undercard type not a top-tier contender who I don’t see beating home more than one or two (if that) across the line.
8. Angel Capital (3) – Chris Waller
Odds: $23 (at time of publish)
Punters chasing a bit of The Everest value could do worse than Angel Capital – one of three for Team Waller who is after his third victory – with the four-year-old Harry Angel entire rarely running a bad race.
He’s a five-time winner from nine starts so far and still has plenty of upside and improvement to come for mine.
A winner fresh at The Valley by a commanding 3.75 lengths in the Listed Chautauqua Stakes (1200), he then went to Caulfield on September 20 and ran well for fourth to Sepals in the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke (1400m) only 1.3 lengths beaten from a wide alley with plenty of excuses.
Didn’t trial all that well here at Randwick a fortnight ago and the Sydney way of racing remains a query for him.
Not sure if the Melbourne form lines are the right ones to follow to the top of this mountain but he’ll get his chance from a good gate three draw, he is back to his pet distance, and he’ll be at the back there with the likes of Jimmysstar ready to fly late.
Could surprise.
9. Joliestar (5) – Chris Waller
Odds: $6.50 (at time of publish)
The best fancied of the Waller contingent, Joliestar was seventh in last year’s The Everest results with excuses.
She is after atonement now representing her trainer’s slot – Chris Waller Racing – for the second year running and is drawn to get a charmed run this year from gate five with master hoop J-Mac booked for the ride.
Fresh she added to her strong first-up record in a sharp victory over Briasa in The Shorts, the form of which has been franked.
A genuine Group 1 mare she has three elite-level trophies to her name including beating Headwall in Flemington’s Newmarket Handicap carrying plenty of weight in the autumn and her nostril-flare Kingsford Smith Cup win at Eagle Farm over the winter.
I like her second-up up to 1200m, she is still peaking, and it is easy to see why the bookies are keeping her at single-figures to win for the home squad.
10. Lady Shenandoah (6) – Chris Waller
Odds: $14 (at time of publish)
Completing Waller’s The Everest charge in 2025 is another multiple Group 1 winning mare in Lady Shenandoah.
This now four-year-old daughter of Snitzel did huge things as a filly earning her plenty of hype ahead of the spring.
After beating her fellow fillies home as the odds-on pick in the Group 1 Surround Stakes (1400m) here in March she returned a fortnight later to show the older mares how it is done in the Group 1 Coolmore Cassic (1500m).
Despite her proficiency over middle-distance races, she was outstanding first-up when going down by the barest of margins in the Concorde Stakes.
Went via a different path to her stablemates and was taken to Moonee Valley for the Group 1 Ladbrokes Manikato where I thought she was brave from the outside alley to cross under a length off fourth behind the shock winner Charm Stone.
She will delight in getting back to her track of choice with Randwick being a very happy hunting ground for the $2 million earner – the Concorde remains her sole defeat from four runs here.
Waller took McDonald off her in favour of him riding the stablemate, but Damian Lane is a good replacement, and I actually think from one wider (barrier 6) at this stage of her prep the Lady can potentially run top three.
11. Magic Time (12) – Grahame Begg
Odds: $71 (at time of publish)
Jumping from the outside barrier is Hellbent mare Magic Time at massive odds.
She is actually in quite good form this campaign having won Caulfield’s Group 3 Cockram Stakes giving away weight with 59kg before her Manikato third when she was as honest as ever according to Michael Dee.
Dee sticks in the saddle for Saturday, she’s a five-time winner from 10 runs over the 1200m and she always performs well at Randwick.
A fringe contender she won’t disgrace herself but could just lack the class to overcome the gate.
12. Tempted (1) – Ciaron Maher
Odds: $15 (at time of publish)
Tempted? I actually am by the weight and price on offer for Maher’s talented young filly.
While three-year-olds have a great The Everest record, no filly has won to date.
It’s a huge ask for her to beat Ka Ying Rising and co. but I can see this progressive daughter of Street Boss making her presence felt with just 51kg and the inside alley.
Craig Williams comes aboard the classy chestnut who has been so consistent against her own age.
A two-time Group 2 winner as a juvenile last campaign with a Golden Slipper third to Marhoona sandwiched between her victories, she has been equally strong this time in against her fellow three-year-olds.
Won the Group 2 Run To The Rose first-up without breaking a sweat before finishing third in the Group 1 Golden Rose when Beiwacht smashed them in record time.
The hot tempo and 1400m found her out that day but she’s back to six-furlongs which puts her right in the mix.
Williams is a big race specialist, and this is certainly a big race, but she’ll get all the favours from the alley, and I’ll be throwing her in my exotics for sure.
Happy punting!
Don’t forget to check out our The Punters’ Playbook: Randwick Spring Carnival Deep Dive for the inside word on the jockeys, trainers and races to watch over the following months!