In terms of prizemoney, there’s no bigger race day on the Australian calendar than Everest and Caulfield Cup day.
The $20 million Everest headlines an unbelievable card at Royal Randwick while some of the country’s best stayers meet in the 150th running of the $6.5 million Group 1 Caulfield Cup in Melbourne.
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The world’s best sprinter Ka Ying Rising dominates the market in the Everest, but there is some concern from his trainer. Could his 22-race streak end this Saturday?
Meanwhile, an intriguing group of imports look to impress in the 2400-metre handicap.
Read on for all of the talking points ahead of Everest and Caulfield Cup day!
CHAMP’S ‘UNKNOWN’ WHICH HAS TRAINER NERVOUS
It’s the question on everyone’s lips as we approach the 2026 Everest.
How will superstar sprinter Ka Ying Rising handle a wet track?
It’s probably the only thing that will beat the defending Everest champion and winner of 22 straight races.
Sydney’s eastern suburbs have copped plenty of rain throughout the week and while the Randwick track drains well, it will probably start in the heavy range on Saturday.
The Hong Kong champion has won 21 races on a dry track and one race on a soft track, but he’s never been tested on bottomless going.
It does concern trainer David Hayes, who was candid at Tuesday night’s barrier draw when asked about his confidence if Randwick is racing in the heavy range.
“I think a soft five, six or seven (tracking rating) I can tolerate. (Heavy) Eight I’d start to worry, nine I’d s*** myself,” Hayes said.
“(Anything in the heavy) I wouldn’t know what’s going to happen. No one does really, unless you’re proven on it and we know he’s not.
“But I’m sure on a dead or a slow, I won’t be using that as an excuse (if it loses).”
Royal Randwick downgraded to heavy 8 | 01:03
Despite the rain that has fallen, bookies aren’t willing to take chances. Ka Ying Rising remains a $1.50 hope as of Friday morning.
He’s not only the best horse in the field, he’s the world’s best sprinter.
He’s tractable, puts himself up on the speed and does everything right.
The gelding comes to Australia in sizzling form as well, breaking his own Sha Tin track record when winning the Chief Executive’s Cup first up in Hong Kong.
But the prospect of a heavy track gives his rivals hope they can pull off the biggest boilover in Everest history.
The likely conditions have left jockey Zac Purton more hopeful than confident.
“We’re hoping it’s going to be OK but it looks like it’s going to be wet,” Purton said.
“That’s the unknown – we don’t know how he’s going to handle the track down there, but there’s not much we can do about that. It’s what we’re faced with, and we’ve got to hope he can handle it.
“I’m not going to know until I let him go with what type of response he’s going to give me.”
MAHER’S STRONG HAND IN BOTH FEATURES
Champion trainer Ciaron Maher will be hoping to pull off a stunning feat for the second time in three years this Saturday.
In 2024, Maher etched his name in history, becoming the first trainer to claim The Everest/Caulfield Cup double in the same year.
His mare Bella Nipotina won Australia’s richest race in Sydney. An hour late, Maher’s stayer Duke de Sessa won the time-honoured handicap in Melbourne.
With Ka Ying Rising lining up to defend his crown in the Everest, Maher will have his work cut out for him.
However, he holds a strong hand with last year’s runner up Tempted and recent Manikato Stakes winner Jimmystar.
That pair will be poised to strike if Ka Ying Rising wobbles on the wet track or has an off day.
The Maher pair are flying, in particular Tempted. Many good judges believe she is a live threat to the favourite.
The mare hasn’t lost a race since her 2nd to Ka Ying Rising 12 months ago, putting together five on the trot.
What’s more, she loves affected ground, having won four from four on soft tracks.
“She ran second last year so she certainly handled it fine. It’s all depending on the track, and who knows what that’s going to be,” he said this week.
“I think she’s pretty right to go and if it’s a bit wetter, it might impede some of the others, but I don’t think it will worry her too much.
“She’s unbeaten on the soft, she’s never raced on a heavy, but she’s probably better credentialed than most to handle it.
“A heavy is an unknown, but she’s been on heavy tracks in trials, and they are going to trial well because they are not coming off the bit, but I would think she would get through it.”
In the Caulfield Cup, Maher is always represented. This year is no different.
Maher will saddle up at least five runners, six if last start Metropolitan winner Juju Kibo can gain a start as 1st emergency.
Saint George and Zahrann are two of the favourites, with the latter well in at the weights with just 53kg.
Zahrann was disappointing last start but the heavy track was blamed. You only have to go back two starts ago at this Caulfield track to see his best when he won a Group 3 Naturalism Stakes on a dry track.
He’ll get conditions to suit on Saturday afternoon and in a massive vote of confidence, jockey Ethan Brown has forgone the ride of Jimmysstar in the Everest to partner Zahrann.
“I galloped him on Tuesday and he is very well. Come Saturday, he will find his best, I have no doubt about that.”
… AND WHAT ABOUT WALLER?
While Maher will be quietly confident, Australia’s other leading trainer Chris Waller is too.
Waller will saddle up Joliestar and Angel Capital in the sprint showcase, both of whom finished midfield behind Ka Ying Rising last year.
Joliestar’s effort was huge this time last year after enduring a run without much luck at a key stage before charging home to finish 1.6L behind the winner.
She’s been busy in the subsequent 12 months. In that time, she’s won a lazy three Group 1’s and placed in two others, including a gutsy third halfway across the world at England’s famed Royal Ascot Carnival in June.
According to Waller, Joliestar can spring an upset as she’s in “career best form”.
What’s more, the country’s best jockey James McDonald will be on board.
“The last six months’ of her form is her best,” Waller said this week.
“James was disappointed last year that things didn’t work out for her, and he’s probably thought about it since, and we get our chance again this year.
“He knows her so well and it’s great to work with a jockey like James McDonald because they prepare, they deliver and get some amazing results.
“We get our chance.”
As of Friday morning, Joliestar is a $14 chance with bookies while Angel Capital is a $61 roughie.
HOW WILL THE IMPORTS FARE?
In this year’s Caulfield Cup, Aussie fans will get their first look at three imports … and all three are given a decent chance in the market.
Overseas-trained horses have a solid although unspectacular record in this race dating back to 2000.
Five have won the 2400m classic, with the most recent the Japanese-trained Mer de Glace in 2019.
Granted, there have been a few owners/trainers who have been scared away from an Australian foray due to drama in recent years around some overseas horses failing strict pre-race vet checks just days out from their assignment.
It’s a hammer blow not only for connections who have paid up to travel their horse across the globe but it also dampens the quality of our great races.
With that said, there will be three overseas-trained horses having a crack in the Caulfield Cup this year — Wine Dark Sea, Enfjaar and Starford.
Wine Dark Sea ($8.50 with Sportsbet) is prepared by English trainer Harry Charlton and will be ridden by Aussie hoop Damien Lane.
The gelding is in form, having won three of his past four including his most recent start in mid-August.
According to Lane, Wine Dark Sea’s racing style should lend itself well to the Caulfield Cup.
“He’s very much probably what we’re used to seeing from the English horses in terms of he can get up on speed and he can sustain a good run from a long way out,” Lane said.
“That’s indicative of what we’ve seen in the English horses that come out here over the years and hopefully that’s the case with him.
“His first impressions were good.
‘Ka Ying Rising’ draws barrier 11 | 00:59
“He’s a very sensible horse, he seems to have settled in well, he moved well, he finished the work off well and there was nothing really negative to report.”
Enfjaar, for the Roger Varian stable, is also a last start winner, saluting over this distance at the famous Goodwood Carnival in the UK.
Ridden by travelling jockey Ray Dawson, Enfjaar is a $11 chance with bookies.
“I’ve watched a lot of replays of the Caulfield Cup, and they seem to go quite quick early,” Dawson said.
“They seem maintain a fast gallop, whereas in England it can vary; they can go quick for a furlong and then they can stack everything up in front.
“The form out of the Goodwood race has worked out really well.
“He stays the trip quite well and he likes quick ground. He’ll like a fast pace; he’s a horse that likes to get into a rhythm, which is what happened at Goodwood. If there’s a nice gallop on, it will play to our strengths.
“He’s going into the race in great condition, and I wouldn’t swap him for anything.”
Starford is the other.
Trained by two-time Melbourne Cup winner Joseph O’Brien, Starford presents first up on Saturday.
He’s lightly raced with a fair bit of upside but would prefer a wet track which he won’t get.
“He is quite a talented horse,” O’Brien said.
“If the track did get wet, it wouldn’t inconvenience him. He’s going to get some headgear on in that race, all being well.”
O’Brien is chasing his first ever Caulfield Cup win. His horse has received steady backing and is $19 on Sportsbet as of Friday morning.
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