It’s been an epic year of racing – the team behind Betsy give their top moments of 2025
MATT WELSH
How can it be anything other than Ka Ying Rising?
He was a headline machine from the moment he touched down in Australia. The buzz around this sprint star was incredible, highlighted by the headlines created after ‘that’ barrier trial.
The story had it all: speculation he hadn’t settled in, rumours he might not take his place fuelled by a huge drift, and adamant connections reassuring the punting public that Ka Ying would blow them away in The Everest.
And then, on one of racing’s biggest stages, in the world’s best sprint race, he showed our Aussie sprinters why he’s the best horse in the world. Sure, he may not have been at his best in winning The Everest, but he was still dominant.
In its short history, The Everest has been a massive success. But none have been as big as this year, and it’s all due to one horse: Ka Ying Rising.
A legend is created! 🙌
Ka Ying Rising wins racing’s ultimate climb – the TAB Everest, and cements himself as the absolute best, giving a sold-out Randwick crowd absolute chills! 🏔️@zpurton @aus_turf_club @tabcomau @HKJC_Racing @WorldPool @WHR pic.twitter.com/TBBC7o2lyP
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) October 18, 2025
PAUL TATNELL
A father son duo and their old apprentice winning Australia’s most famous race was not only the racing story of the year, it was one of Australia’s best sporting tales too.
Tony and Calvin McEvoy winning the Caulfield and Melbourne Cup double with Half Yours was brilliant to watch on several levels. An Australian bred horse wins our most famous race against a field stacked with a few fancied international raiders. The duo are also terrific for the industry, friendly and open with their time.
And on board Half Yours? Jamie Melham of course. Melham spoke to Betsy recently about her nerves before the Caulfield Cup as well as a lean patch in form. Her ride through the pack in the Melbourne Cup was outstanding.
She of course became the first female jockey to win the Cups’ double. Watching the McEvoys and Melham after the race revel in their success, so many years after they first worked together in South Australia, was special.
HALF YOURS WINS THE 2025 MELBOURNE CUP! 🇦🇺🏆
CONGRATULATIONS TO TONY & CALVIN MCEVOY & OF COURSE TO JAMIE MELHAM!
WHAT A TREMENDOUS MELBOURNE CUP!
— Stephen R Power (@racingblogger) November 4, 2025
Honourable mentions go to the world’s best sprinter, Ka Ying Rising, for his Everest heroics. Too often in sport we don’t see stars live up to their billing. Not only did Ka Ying turn up, he starred. And finally we said goodbye to Moonee Valley as we know it, demolished foe a new track and some apartments. The final Cox Plate was glorious, full of noisy punters who witnessed a classic. The day ended with attendees taking home what wasn’t nailed down. A day in history.
JAMES TZAFERIS
There is a clear standout for me and it’s Strictly Business’ win in the VRC Oaks. This story had everything I love about racing – a homebred filly out of a bargain mare, an unheralded trainer with a small team of horses and a David vs Goliath battle with the likes of Waller, Waterhouse and Maher on the sport’s biggest stage. Needless to say David – or in this case Tom Carberry – got the cash with the daughter of Grunt, who was having her third run for the campaign in the space of a fortnight. The filly bolted in to win the G1 at Flemington, giving Carberry his first win at the elite level. I don’t think it will be the last for either horse or trainer as the filly appears to have huge upside. I can’t wait to follow her in 2026.
👏👏👏That’s some training performance by Thomas Carberry.
🏇 Strictly Business: 1400m maiden (first-up) ➜ 2000m ➜ 2500m G1 VRC Oaks win — all in 13 days!
📖 Only 4 of 274 fillies in the last 21 years have tackled the race <=3rd-up — she’s the first winner.
…And she… pic.twitter.com/UHSsO8n8N0
— Daniel O’Sullivan (@TRBHorseRacing) November 6, 2025
An honourable mention to Baraqiel for his G1 win in the Moir Stakes. It was an unreal training performance from Troy and Leon Corstens and Will Larken to get the horse to win a G1 WFA sprint given all the issues he had as a young horse.
CHRIS ROOTS
It was gritty rather than pretty as Via Sistina won a second Cox Plate, but it was fitted way to close Moonee Valley. It was never the most luxurious track, but for pure racing theatre nothing could match it.
As October 25 drew to an end, the track was full of punters roaring a favourite home.
The perfect end to 142 years of history.
Via Sistina, the defending champion, loomed large at the top of the short straight, but it wasn’t the forgone conclusion of 12 months earlier.
She dug in and so did jockey James McDonald and as the crowd roar, she surged again and again to hold off Buckaroo.
It was the final gladiator fight at the Colosseum of racing.
The old stands rattled and the result was what the majority wanted.
“I could feel her lift with the crowd,” McDonald said. “It was special. It’s a shame we won’t be here again.”
Those stands have already made way for units. And we will tell our children about what the Valley was like because we will never experience anything like it again.
It was the standout moment of 2025, but The Everest again produced its share of drama.
It mostly came in the week leading into the $20 million race rather than on the track itself.
Hong Kong superstar Ka Ying Rising prove himself a global star on raceday after rumours had him out of the race just six days earlier.
The social media furore will be remembered, as media experts went with rumours rather than facts. Especially after a so-so barrier trials.
He was simply too good for our sprinters on the track, Zac Purton taking control of the race from the barriers and with a couple of flicks with the whip humbling our best with ease.
What a mare! 🤩
Via Sistina wrote her name into the history books this morning, battling gamely to land a second Cox Plate – her ELEVENTH Group One victory! 🇦🇺 pic.twitter.com/ZXdREe4WpC
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) October 25, 2025
