Zac Purton went past 2100 wins in Hong Kong on the weekend, and he knows his career is closer to the end than beginning, that’s why he enjoys a Tuesday morning at Randwick in front of more than 1500 Ka Ying Rising fans.
“It’s good, you can appreciate it because of when this horse has come along for me,” Purton said. “People know him better now than last year and they want to see him.
“For me and David it is great to have a horse like him now, because he is the name, we are just part of the story.
“But we both know we haven’t had another on like him.”
Trainer David Hayes has built on the tradition of Lindsay Park and had special horses before – Better Loosen Up and Miss Finland- quickly come to mind, but this is different.
“Ka Ying Rising is my legacy horse. He will be the horse people remember me and Zac for,” Hayes said.
“Better Loosen Up was a great horse, but he is a generation ago and most people have forgotten him.
“Not me.
“But this is different in a lot of ways because people have cameras in their phones and want a picture.
“You come here and you interact with them and see what he means to them.”
The crowd for Tuesday’s barrier trial would have topped most midweek meetings, and the focus was one star.
As a swarm of white jackets with Ka Ying Rising emblazoned on them walked behind him in the Theatre Of The Horse, there was a crowd fitting of a superstar.
Ka Ying Rising is 15 to 20 kg heavier than 12 months ago and brings with him an aura of excellence that continues to grow with track record after track record.
That wasn’t the point of Tuesday morning, it was to another look at Randwick, another step towards defending his Everest crown.
“He was off his tree here last year,” Hayes observed. “He is much better because he knows what he is doing.”
A couple of laps of the mounting yard, while his rivals were in the centre of the track and Purton went out to do business.
Ka Ying Rising jumped on the right leg but after half-dozen strides he switched to wrong leg as he cruised around Randwick closer to the outside fence than the inside.
Everest rival Ninja eyeballed in the straight and got a margin on him in the end, but it was mission accomplished.
1⃣ Ninja
2⃣ Ka Ying Rising
3⃣ ApocalypticA points decision to the @MFreedmanRacing sprinter as he edges out the #TABEverest favourite running 59.46 for the 1000m. Behind them were Joliestar, Headwall, Angel Capital & Amazing Journey. @tabcomau @HKJC_Racing https://t.co/JUMXRCFEKr
— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) October 5, 2026
Ka Ying Rising came back having a blow, but there wasn’t a hint of the concern of 2025.
“He was much better than a year ago, but that will bring him on,” Hayes said.
“They went about four seconds slower than race pace, so he was very comfortable.”
Ninja stopped the clock at 59.46 seconds, the last 600m in 34.28sec, on a soft track, but Purton knew it wasn’t the race-day Ka Ying Rising.
“He just wants to goof around in the morning sometimes, he will be different on race day,” he said.
“He was in the middle of the track having a good look around.
“He pulled up having a really big blow, more than he would after a race in Hong Kong, so that tells you he feels the ground.
“He got through it OK – there was a bit more there and when the other horse [Ninja] came up he wanted to fight for it.
“But we’ll wait for race day to let him go.”
Purton hopped into a couple of bacon and egg rolls and threw hats, his goggles, and even his whip into the crowd.
There were the photos and autographs as well as several interviews to do. More than an hour after the trial, Purton could relax.
“It was good to have a morning like that. It’s good for racing and reminds us how special Ka Ying Rising is,” he offered.
