“He did lose, I think, 22 pounds, if the scales are correct or they are calibrated the same. But the most important thing is he’s eating his feed, he’s drinking, and there’s a consistent weight in Australia.
“So we reset, and I’m expecting him to be racing now at about 140-145 [1140-1145 pounds], and he’s virtually undefeated at that weight.
Ka Ying Rising goes for light track work at Canterbury on Thursday.Credit: KATE GERAGHTY
“I’m not concerned about his weight, he’s carrying terrific condition.”
As for his opposition, Hayes took encouragement from Timeform figures that showed Ka Ying Rising was the world’s best.
“The Australian sprinters are famous around the world, so you’ve got to respect them,” he said.
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“Last week’s [Shorts] winner, Joliestar, was very impressive. Lady Shenandoah was incredibly unlucky [in the Concorde]. We see her this Friday [in the Manikato] and I’ll be watching her closely.
“And the four-year-old Chris Waller has just nominated [Angel Capital], was incredibly unlucky in the group 1 [Sir Rupert Clarke].
“So it’s not going to be a walk in the park, but I’d say if ratings are any guide, they all need to probably improve on their current ratings to beat him.”
Ka Ying Rising came to Hayes unraced after his sons, Lindsay Park trainers Ben, Will and JD, identified his potential following trials in Victoria. He has won 14 of 16 starts.
“On about his fifth or sixth run, he carried 61 kilos as a three-year-old against older horses, drew wide on a slightly rain-affected track – it’s very hard for three-year-olds to give older horses weight – and he absolutely trotted up and won by about four lengths easing down, nearly breaking the course record carrying that weight. I thought, well, you have to be very special to do that,” Hayes said.
Three slots remain for the 12-horse Everest after Inglis chose Mitchell Freedman-trained Lightning Stakes winner Skybird on Thursday. Mulberry Racing, Coolmore and Godolphin have yet to announce their picks.
