Hong Kong Racing
James McDonald labels Ka Ying Rising an absolute superstar, but sounds Everest warning
James McDonald, the only jockey so far to inflict defeat on Ka Ying Rising, has declared the world’s top-rated sprinter “an absolute superstar” but warns the Hong Kong champion will need to be at his best to win the AU$20 million (approx. HK$101 million) G1 The Everest (1200m) on Saturday (18 October) at Royal Randwick in Sydney, Australia.
McDonald, who twice toppled Ka Ying Rising on Wunderbar at Sha Tin in January, 2024, will ride Chris Waller's Joliestar this weekend and believes The Everest's unrelenting pressure will present a formidable challenge to Ka Ying Rising.
"He's a superstar, he's an absolute superstar. If he brings his Sha Tin form, he's almost sometimes impossible to beat the way his figures read. I've ridden some good horses against him and he's made them look pretty second rate, to be fair," McDonald said.
"But this is a different kettle of fish. This is probably the toughest test to date for him and he's going to know he's in a horse race, especially with the likes of Jimmysstar, Briasa, Joliestar and Lady Shenandoah coming at him. He's going to have to be at the top of his game."
Waller has three runners in Saturday's feature – Joliestar, Lady Shenandoah and Angel Capital – and welcomes the presence of Ka Ying Rising.
"The best thing about Ka Ying Rising being in the race is that it brings an international flavour to this year's event and that's what we want to see here in Australia – we've got the best sprinters in the world and we take them overseas and normally get it right," he said.
"So, to see the horse coming here with the world's highest rating, Australia has got something to prove.
Waller compared The Everest to an Olympic Games 100m track final.
"All three of ours are, in my eyes, good enough to win the race and every horse will have to be at their best to win the race. It's just a great contest. It's not different to an Olympic sprint final – everyone has to be at on their game, get a good clean start and have everything go their way and you need to be strong over the last metres of the race," he said.
"There's only going to be two or three metres from first to sixth placing. It's the best of the best coming together on Saturday at Randwick. It's an exciting race, the build-up has been huge, it's a sell-out crowd. They're all eager to find out the result.
"All I can say is Joliestar, she's a mature mare now, she's in the zone now, great first-up win. Lady Shenandoah is coming off that defeat, but there were legitimate reasons for it and we think she's a rising star and will be there next year in The Everest as well.
"And Angel Capital is the unknown. He's a rising star, like Lady Shenandoah, he hasn't won at the elite level yet but the things we see at home on the training track are quite phenomenal and if he brings that to the races from his good draw (three), he could beat them all."
Ka Ying Rising will start from barrier seven under Zac Purton on Saturday (18 October).
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