New Zealand’s chances of scaling racing’s Everest improve after draw

Jimmysstar has been a revelation since transferring to Australia and is now third favourite for the Everest.

Three horses with strong New Zealand connections head the market for the A$20 million Everest in Sydney on Saturday after the barrier draw.

Ka Ying Rising, who started his career with a trial win in New Zealand before being sold to an owner in China to be raced in Hong Kong, is the $1.60 favourite with TAB after drawing barrier 7 in Sydney last night.

Trainer David Hayes described the draw as ideal, as Ka Ying Rising can either choose to head straight toward the front, if he can cross speedster Mazu (barrier 2), or follow across one of the other possible speed influences in the race in Overpass (9) and sit just off the speed.

“I think his best performance was coming from off them with a sit so that is an option,” he said after the draw.

Cambridge Stud-owned mare Joliestar is the $6 second favourite after drawing barrier 5, which looks ideal for a mare who would be best stalking midfield on the outer.

Superstar Kiwi jockey James McDonald has been confirmed to partner her, choosing the daughter of Zoustar over stablemate Lady Shenandoah.

Former New Zealand-trained sprinter Jimmysstar, who is still part-owned here, is the $9 third favourite even after drawing barrier 11, which may not be a disaster as he tends to get back in his races.

The field for the A$20million Everest to be run at Randwick on Saturday is:-

1: Ka Ying Rising (barrier 7)

2: Briasa (10)

3: Overpass (9)

4: Jimmysstar (11)


5: War Machine (4)

6: Mazu (2)


7: Jedibeel (8)

8: Angel Capital (3)

9: Joliestar (5)

10: Lady Shenandoah (6)

11: Magic Time (12)

12: Tempted (1)

Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990. He became the Herald’s Racing Editor in 1995 and covers the world’s biggest horse racing carnivals.