Ka Ying Rising faces toughest test yet in $20 million The Everest sprint at Randwick

The world’s fastest horse is tackling the world’s richest sprint, with excitement machine Ka Ying Rising a hot favourite in the $20 million The Everest (1200m) at Randwick.

But while bookmakers have the five-year-old at the prohibitive odds of around $1.75 to lift Saturday’s Group 1 in his first race outside of Hong Kong, rival camps have not quite conceded they’re running for second place.

Channel Seven Horse Racing host and analyst Emma Freedman is among those who believe Ka Ying Rising still has his work cut out before his connections start cashing their cheques for the $ 7 million first prize.

Writing in The Nightly, Freedman said Ka Ying Rising’s poor barrier trial last week would have greatly worried hiscamp regardless of what they said publicly.

“I am not convinced. This is no done deal. He might be the best rated sprinter in the world, but this isn’t a gimme. It’s a horse race,” she wrote.

“A victory for an Aussie horse is one for the underdog. A signal to the world that the quality of thoroughbreds in Australia is still top notch.

“If I were a betting woman, I’d be having my hard earned on the latter result.”

Bred in New Zealand, by the relatively obscure stallion Shamexpress, Ka Ying Rising was sold to the Victorian Lindsay Park stable of the esteemed Hayes family as a two-year-old.

Training brothers Ben, JD and Will Hayes soon alerted their father David in Hong Kong as to his abilities, and the horse was sent to the territory where he won on debut, took narrow seconds at his next two starts, and has won all 13 since.

With four Group 1 victories, Ka Ying Rising is the highest-ranked horse in the world according to respected British ratings agency Timeform, with a mark of 135 nearly matching the peak 136 attained by Australian great Black Caviar in 2012.

And the gelding’s Sydney raid has built interest in The Everest to fever pitch, giving the weight-for-age contest genuine international status for the first time in its nine runnings.

David Hayes said all had gone well since Ka Ying Rising’s arrival in Sydney on September 22 - including drawing a “perfect” gate seven of 12 for regular rider Zac Purton, the Australian expat who dominates Hong Kong’s jockey ranks.

“He’s in really good form. I’m very happy with him,” said Hayes.

“Zac will jump fast, for sure, and if the pace is hectic, he’ll back out of it. Some of his most impressive wins have been sitting off the pace. But if they miss the start and don’t go fast, he’ll lead. He’s that sort of horse.”

While superior European stayers have long been happy to raid the Melbourne Cup, internationals have been less inclined to take on Australia’s renowned sprinters - several of whom are ready to confront Ka Ying Rising in The Everest, the world’s richest race on turf and second overall behind the dirt-track Saudi Cup, worth $US30 million ($A31 million).

Master trainer Chris Waller has three strong contenders in Joliestar, the $7 second-favourite for the world’s top-ranked jockey James McDonald, her fellow mare Lady Shenandoah ($13), and four-year-old stallion Angel Capital ($23).

The Hayes brothers will try to upset their father with their own emerging star War Machine ($10), seeking a fifth straight win, while the Ciaron Maher-trained Jimmysstar ($10) and Team Hawkes’s grey flash Briasa ($15) are other contenders.

“The best thing about Ka Ying Rising being in the race is that it brings an international flavour to this year’s event and that’s what we want to see here in Australia,” Waller said.

“We’ve got the best sprinters in the world. So, to see the horse coming here with the world’s highest rating, Australia has got something to prove.

“All three of ours are good enough to win the race.

“It’s just a great contest. It’s not different to an Olympic sprint final – everyone has to be on their game, get a good clean start and have everything go their way and you need to be strong over the last metres of the race.”

McDonald, who rode the winner in Ka Ying Rising’s only two defeats, described the gelding as “a superstar - an absolute superstar”.

“If he brings his (Hong Kong) form, he’s almost sometimes impossible to beat,” he said.

“But this is a different kettle of fish. This is probably the toughest test to date for him and he’s going to know he’s in a horse race.”