Ka Ying Concerning?

I doubt we’ll ever see a more anticipated barrier trial than Heat 1 at Royal Randwick this morning. It might’ve been worth $0 in prizemoney, but it was stacked with more than $50 million in earners.

Although it was a star-studded field, all eyes were on Ka Ying Rising, the current $1.50 favourite for The Everest. My first thought watching the trial was, “that was a touch plain.”

After going back and watching it a few more times – relative to that short quote – I think it was a concerning trial.

Welcome to Randwick, KA YING RISING! 🏔️

The Hong Kong superstar has his first trial in Australia alongside his @tabcomau Everest rivals and finishes nicely! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/iT5OmtV9HC

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) October 6, 2025

Yes, there are still two weeks up their sleeve before this elite gelding attempts to scale the mountain, but in racing, two weeks isn’t a long time at all.

The best guide is his Hong Kong trial pattern – he normally sits poised, cruising in first gear, and with any kind of flinch from Purton he looks like he’d find five lengths instantly.

Today, he looked to be knocking up late, with not a whole lot left to give. The likes of Linebacker and Overpass provided strong yardsticks, too.

The most intriguing part was what Zac Purton did after the line – around 100m past the post, he shook the reins and gave Ka Ying Rising a slap down the neck. To me, that screams he needed that hit-out more than most. He’ll no doubt improve from it, but at $1.50 with just two weeks up the camp’s sleeve, I’m concerned.

Looking at the current market, I have to suggest bets on Lady Shenandoah ($11) and Angel Capital ($13). Both will line up third-up into The Everest, both have tactical versatility, and both should thrive off a hot tempo on paper.