The barrier draw for Saturday’s $20 million The TAB Everest (1200m) at Royal Randwick has been determined with a spectacular drone show over Sydney Harbour.
Hong Kong champion Ka Ying Rising has fared well for his history making bid, drawing barrier seven.
The suitable barrier draw saw race sponsor TAB quickly firm him in from his $1.70 pre draw quote into a $1.60.
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“I think it’s a great barrier for him,” trainer David Hayes declared.
“I think the speed around him maps very well for him and Zac (Purton) will be able to make a choice whether he goes all the way forward or follows the speed.”
Chris Waller’s trio of The Everest hopefuls have each drawn well with Joliestar drawing five, Lady Shenandoah six while Angel Capital will exit three.
The kind barrier draw for Joliestar was enough for bookmakers to firm her into a $8 second favourite, while Jimmysstar, which was second elect prior to the draw, drifted to $11 (from $8) after drawing gate 11.
“It’s an incredibly intriguing race so to have any interest, let alone three runners, is fantastic,” Waller’s assistant trainer Charlie Duckworth said.
“All three of our horses have drawn incredibly well to get the perfect runs.”
Tempted, the sole three-year-old in the field, will exit barrier one while Briasa will negotiate barrier 10.
FINAL FIELD FOR 2025 THE TAB EVEREST
No. – Horse – Trainer – Jockey – Barrier – Weight
1 – KA YING RISING – David Hayes – Zac Purton – 7 – 58.5kg
2 – BRIASA – Michael, John & Wayne Hawkes – Tyler Schiller – 10 – 58.5kg
3 – OVERPASS – Bjorn Baker – Joshua Parr – 9 – 58.5kg
4 – JIMMYSSTAR – Ciaron Maher – Ethan Brown – 11 – 58.5kg
5 – WAR MACHINE – Ben, Will & JD Hayes – Tim Clark – 4 – 58.5kg
6 – MAZU – Joseph Pride – Jason Collett – 2 – 58.5kg
7 – JEDIBEEL – Brad Widdup – Kerrin McEvoy – 8 – 58.5kg
8 – ANGEL CAPITAL – Chris Waller – Ben Melham – 3 – 58.5kg
9 – JOLIESTAR – Chris Waller – James McDonald – 5 – 56.5kg
10 – LADY SHENANDOAH – Chris Waller – Damian Lane – 6 – 56.5kg
11 – MAGIC TIME – Grahame Begg – Michael Dee – 12 – 56.5kg
12 – TEMPTED – Ciaron Maher – Craig Williams – 1 – 51kg
EMERGENCIES
13 – IOWNA MERC – Bjorn Baker – 58.5kg
14 – GENEROSITY – Chris Waller – 56.5kg
15 – ROTHFIRE – Robert Heathcote – 58.5kg
16 – GOLDEN MILE – Joseph Pride – 58.5kg
Pictured at Canterbury Park Racecourse in Sydney is Hong Kong’s world-famous sprinter and TAB Everest favourite Ka Ying Rising. The gelding has won 14 of 16 starts. Picture: Richard Dobson.Source: News Corp Australia
SPORTSBET FIXED ODDS MARKET (AS OF WED AM)
KA YING RISING $1.65
JOLIESTAR $7.5
JIMMYSTAR $12
BRIASA $13
WAR MACHINE $13
LADY SHENANDOAH $14
ANGEL CAPITAL $17
TEMPTED $17
OVERPASS $61
MAGIC TIME $81
MAZU $101
JEDIBEEL $251
WEATHER FORECAST
The Everest is Race 7 on Saturday’s program and is scheduled to be run at 4.15pm.
The Randwick track is rated a soft (5) and the rail will be in the 3-metre position on Saturday.
The Bureau Of Meteorology forecast for Sydney is.
Wednesday – Mostly sunny. 26.
Thursday – Mostly sunny. 27.
Friday – Partly cloudy. (70% chance of 0-6mm of rain) 31.
Saturday – Partly cloudy. 21.
WHERE TO WATCH
Sky Racing and Channel 7 will broadcast the race live in Australia.
In exciting news for the sport, it was revealed that this year’s TAB Everest will be broadcast globally on DAZN and Fox Sports 1 in the USA, where it could hit a potential global audience of 560 million people.
Racing NSW Chief Executive Peter V’landys said the new broadcast reach reflected the growing global stature of The TAB Everest.
“The Everest has always sought to innovate racing and reach new audiences and this partnership with DAZN and Fox Sports allows us to do that on an unprecedented scale,” he said.
“We only need to get a fraction of the available audience to break all records for Australian racing.”
THE FACTS
The 2025 renewal of The TAB Everest is made up of seven older geldings, a four-year-old entire, three mares and a three-year-old filly.
Four-year-olds and up, entires and geldings have won six of the eight The Everests.
Last year’s winner Bella Nipotina is the only one of 21 mares which have contested the race to have won while 13 three-year-olds have previously run in The Everest for two wins, Yes Yes Yes in 2019 and Giga Kick in 2022.
No three-year-old filly has won the race.
Previous winning trainers that have runners this year are Chris Waller (twice) and Ciaron Maher while Kerrin McEvoy (three wins), Craig Williams (two wins) and James McDonald have been the successful jockeys in the race.
The Premiere Stakes has produced four winners of The Everest, The Shorts two and the Golden Rose one.
Barrier 5 is the only starting gate to have won the race multiple times while the other successful barriers have been 1, 4, 6, 9, 10 and 11.
Four saddlecloths have tasted victory in The Everest – 3 on three occasions, 1 and 12 twice each and 4 was the winning number last year.
PAST WINNERS OF THE TAB EVEREST
2024 BELLA NIPOTINA (Ciaron Maher/Craig Williams)
2023 THINK ABOUT IT (Joe Pride/Sam Clipperton)
2022 GIGA KICK (Clayton Douglas/Craig Williams)
2021 NATURE STRIP (Chris Waller/James McDonald)
2020 CLASSIQUE LEGEND (Les Bridge/Kerrin McEvoy)
2019 YES YES YES (Chris Waller/Glen Boss)
2018 REDZEL (Peter and Paul Snowden/Kerrin McEvoy)
2017 REDZEL (Peter and Paul Snowden/Kerrin McEvoy)